Introducing a Philosophy for Children (P4C) session on “Busting Gender Bias” involves encouraging students to explore how gender stereotypes influence our perceptions and actions. The stimulus used to encourage philosophising among students might include videos, stories, or real-life scenarios where gender biases are evident. The goal is to provoke thoughtful inquiry about stereotypes and associated concepts such as fairness, equality, freedom. By questioning why certain jobs, toys, or behaviours are labelled as “for boys” or “for girls,” students can begin to understand and dismantle these biases in their own lives.

For teachers and students familiar with the P4C, using a stimulus record sheet is a useful tool to aid students in creating their own philosophical questions. However, asking students who are unfamiliar with P4C to formulate their own questions from a stimulus can be challenging. Students might struggle with identifying the key concepts or issues that are worth exploring further, especially if they are not familiar with creative, critical or collaborative thinking. Generating meaningful questions involves higher-order thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, and these can be intimidating for students who are more accustomed to answering predefined questions rather than creating their own.

Presenting students with an example philosophical question allows the teacher to demonstrate the kind of open-ended, reflective inquiry that is valued in P4C. The teacher can clarify what makes a question philosophical, and plan activities and questions in advance that will guide students to think deeply about the issue. An example also gives them a starting point, making the process more accessible and less intimidating, and ultimately will inspire them to generate their own questions in the future.