Abstract

This study is structured around the use of drawings by first-grade primary school students to express their thoughts during Philosophy for Children (P4C) practices. For this purpose, preparatory activities were conducted through drama; selected picture books were used as stimuli; themes were identified for each book through community of inquiry sessions; and, finally, all students were enabled to express their ideas through drawings. Designed as an action research study within the framework of qualitative research methods, the research group consisted of 35 first-grade students. Data were collected using a checklist, interview forms, a teacher journal, audio recordings, and field notes. As a result of the practices conducted over two months, it was observed that philosophical inquiry through students’ own drawings was feasible for younger learners who experience difficulty in verbal expression. The findings revealed that students who were supported in expressing their thoughts demonstrated not only improved thinking skills but also strengthened social skills and reduced communication difficulties. Moreover, an overall increase in students’ capacity to respond and engage in classroom dialogue was observed. Other areas of development observed included generating opposing viewpoints, producing new ideas, and gaining flexibility by changing opinions when necessary. Future studies are recommended to explore alternative ways of including students with limited expressive language skills in P4C activities.

Keywords: P4C, Picture books, Drawing, Action research, Expression of thought

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Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

How to cite

Çiğdemir, S. (2026). “I think, therefore i draw”: an alternative action research study on P4C practices. Education and Science, 51(226), 265-300. https://doi.org/10.15390/ES.2026.2510