Effectiveness of Philosophy for Children (P4C) Education on Enhancing Processing Speed and Problem-Solving in Elementary Students
Keywords:
Teaching Philosophy for Children (P4C), Processing Speed, Problem SolvingAbstract
Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Philosophy for Children (P4C) education on enhancing processing speed and problem-solving in elementary students.
Methodology: This research is applied in terms of its objective, and from the perspective of data collection and processing method, it is considered experimental. It was implemented using a quasi-experimental intergroup design with a pre-test and post-test along with a control group. The statistical population included all male elementary students in District 3 of the Tehran Department of Education during the 2024–2025 academic year. From this population, 30 students were randomly and voluntarily selected, with 15 placed in the experimental group and 15 in the control group. The experimental group received Philosophy for Children (P4C) training, and participants were purposefully selected based on pre-test scores and randomly assigned to each group. The instruments used included the Philosophy for Children training package and the Processing Speed Questionnaire (Sa’adati Shamir, 2022) and Problem-Solving Questionnaire (Sa’adati Shamir, 2022), which were employed to measure processing speed and problem-solving ability, respectively.
Findings: The results of the covariance analysis indicated that Philosophy for Children education had a significant effect on increasing processing speed and problem-solving in elementary students.
Conclusion: Accordingly, P4C training improved students' reasoning and analytical abilities, as well as the speed of cognitive and verbal sequences and processing in elementary school students.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Shabnam Rashidzadeh, Fehimeh Timajchi, Atlas Karamroodi, Nastaran Riyazi, Mina Eshrati, Mehdi Janbaz (Author)

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