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Journals / Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Sayı: 79

The effect of Philosophy for Children on cognitive empathy: An experimental study

Çocuklar için Felsefenin bilişsel empati üzerindeki etkisi: Deneysel bir çalışma

Rumeysa Uluurgun(AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY)0009-0001-0185-0651
Pages
146–160
Publication Date
2026-07-31
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Therefore, this study is expected to contribute to the limited research on cognitive empathy.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:The claim that the education system, which must adapt to changing societal needs and advancing technology, is inadequate in developing students’ life skills remains a current debate today.In this context, the Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach, developed under the leadership of Matthew Lipman and integrated into educational programs in many countries, has attracted attention.
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Key Findings & Data:P4C aims not only to transfer knowledge but also to create meaningful understanding, to improve students’ thinking skills, and to raise them as democratic individuals.
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Conclusion & Impact:Therefore, this study is expected to contribute to the limited research on cognitive empathy.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2001 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Çocuklar için Felsefe (P4C) · bilişsel empati · sosyal-duygusal beceriler

Abstract

The claim that the education system, which must adapt to changing societal needs and advancing technology, is inadequate in developing students’ life skills remains a current debate today.In this context, the Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach, developed under the leadership of Matthew Lipman and integrated into educational programs in many countries, has attracted attention. P4C aims not only to transfer knowledge but also to create meaningful understanding, to improve students’ thinking skills, and to raise them as democratic individuals. This study examined the effect of the P4C program on the cognitive empathy skills of 4th grade primary school students. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was used. The research was conducted with 40 students in a public school in Alanya, Antalya. The experimental group participated in P4C sessions for six weeks, while the control group continued with the regular curriculum. Data were collected using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test developed by Baron-Cohen et al. (2001). Findings showed that P4C positively supported students’ cognitive empathy. While most studies in the literature focus on thinking skills, research on social-emotional skills such as empathy is limited. Therefore, this study is expected to contribute to the limited research on cognitive empathy.

Özet

Değişen toplum ihtiyaçlarına ve gelişen teknolojiye uyum sağlamak zorunda olan eğitim sistemi, öğrencilerin yaşam becerilerini geliştirmekte yetersiz kaldığı savı günümüzde hâlâ güncel bir tartışma konusudur. Bu bağlamda, Matthew Lipman’ın öncülüğünde geliştirilen ve birçok ülkede eğitim programlarına entegre edilen Çocuklar için Felsefe (P4C) yaklaşımı dikkat çekmektedir. P4C, bilginin yalnızca aktarılmasını değil, anlamlı bir bütün oluşturmasını; öğrencilerin düşünme becerilerini geliştirmesini ve demokratik bireyler olarak yetişmesini öngörmektedir. Bu çalışma, P4C programının ilkokul 4. sınıf öğrencilerinde bilişsel empati becerisine etkisini incelemiştir. Çalışmada öntest–sontest kontrol gruplu yarı deneysel desen kullanılmıştır. Antalya ili Alanya ilçesindeki bir devlet okulunda öğrenim gören 40 öğrenciyle yürütülen araştırmada, deney grubuna 6 hafta süreyle P4C oturumları uygulanmış, kontrol grubu ise mevcut eğitim programına devam etmiştir. Veri toplama aracı olarak Baron-Cohen ve arkadaşları (2001) tarafından geliştirilen Gözlerden Zihni Okuma Testi kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, P4C’nin öğrencilerde bilişsel empatiyi olumlu yönde desteklediğini göstermiştir. Literatürde P4C araştırmaları genellikle düşünme becerilerine odaklanırken, empati gibi sosyal-duygusal becerilere yönelik çalışmalar sınırlı kalmıştır. Bu bağlamda çalışmamızın, bilişsel empati üzerine sınırlı sayıdaki araştırmalara önemli bir katkı sunması beklenmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Uluurgun, R. (2026). The effect of Philosophy for Children on cognitive empathy: An experimental study. Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, Sayı: 79, 146–160. https://doi.org/10.21764/maeuefd.1942150

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