La discussion a visée démocratique et philosophique en classe de terminale : une nouvelle forme d’enseignement pour le développement de la pensée « critique, créative et vigilante »

Abstract

Our research focused on "the teaching of philosophical and democratic discussion in the final year class: a new form of teaching for the development of "critical, creative and vigilant" thinking. We have observed that, despite the efforts made by the public authorities and philosophy teachers, the process allowing learners to appropriate their own thought was still difficult in view of the difficulties linked to learning to philosophize, which involves conceptualization, problematisation and argumentation. The question that guided our work was the following: How can learning through Democratic and Philosophical Discussion contribute to the inclusion of learners and promote socialization? The operationalization of this main question generated three research questions corresponding to three centres of interest which are: QRS1: What is the pedagogical link of this device (DVDP) in Tle? QRS2: What is the didactic contribution of the DVDP in the teaching-learning process? QRS3: What is the social and ethical contribution of the DVDP in Tle class? The general objective of our work, was to show that the teaching of philosophy under the paradigm of a discussion or debate, will give rise to, and increase in young learners skills such as: autonomy of thought and the strength of critical judgment, which are the very basis of the teaching of philosophy. in order to give them weapons to be able to lead by themselves their way of acting and doing, and thus, reduce cases of violence in our social circles in general and school in particular as it has become the habit these last years . Our investigation carried out in three phases, namely an implementation of our teaching system in the final classes of the bilingual high school of Yaoundé, the high school of Soa and the college Notre Dame de Lourdes, a pre-survey and the actual survey. The survey was undertaken through a questionnaire addressed to a sample of six hundred philosophy learners from the general literary and scientific series. The results that emerge from field surveys and data processing using Chi Square (X2) show that: HR1: calculated X2= 145.53 > theoretical X2= 9.49. Thus, we reject H0 and accept H1. The Democratic and Philosophical Aimed Discussion presents itself as an innovative pedagogical device for the teaching of philosophy in high school and particularly in Tle class. HR2: Computed X2= 22.281 > Theoretical X2= 9.49 so we reject H0 and accept H1. The Democratic and Philosophical Discussion is a didactic device, which intervenes as in adequacy with the APC / ESV in force in Cameroon in order to allow learners to develop specific skills of philosophizing. HR3: Calculated X2= 11.60283180778 > Theoretical X2= 9.49 so we reject H0 and accept H1. The Democratic and Philosophical Discussion is a pedagogical-didactic device, which is linked to the social aspect of the students. The results we have reached show that the DVDP, both as a space for collective discussion and a philosophical research community, accomplishes a double mission: it allows children to open up together to the universality of a questioning rationality and prepares them for the democratic exercise of judgment. Beyond its philosophical aim, and nevertheless thanks to it, it is the occasion for them of a sensitive and rational experience, which cultivates the feelings of interdependence, and belonging by which they are connected to the community of men and citizens. Generating ethical dispositions, this practice, if it is regular, contributes to an education in fraternity which there is every reason to think is a lever to fight against inequalities and discrimination. Indeed, “for the principle of equality to become a desire for social equality, it must be associated with a feeling of solidarity and fraternity” because “when these feelings weaken, inequalities widen” (Dubet, 2014, p. 106). The results we have reached show that the DVDP, both as a space for collective discussion and a philosophical research community, accomplishes a double mission: it allows children to open up together to the universality of a questioning rationality and prepares them for the democratic exercise of judgment. Beyond its philosophical aim, and nevertheless thanks to it, it is the occasion for them of a sensitive and rational experience, which cultivates the feelings of interdependence, and belonging by which they are connected to the community of men and citizens. Generating ethical dispositions, this practice, if it is regular, contributes to an education in fraternity which there is every reason to think is a lever to fight against inequalities and discrimination. Indeed, “for the principle of equality to become a desire for social equality, it must be associated with a feeling of solidarity and fraternity” because “when these feelings weaken, inequalities widen” (Dubet, 2014, p. 106). As we have repeatedly emphasized in our modest research work, learning to philosophize in high school is based on three thought processes: conceptualization, problematization and argumentation. It is a question of teaching or training learners to develop creative, reflective and prudent thinking and not of teaching a doctrine or an already constituted system of thought. This must therefore lead them to philosophize or even think for themselves with respect for others and for society. This work on awakening or teaching the DVDP cannot also be done without prior training of our teachers in this method; there is no question of substituting the philosophy course for a debate session, but it is a question of devoting 10 or even 15 minutes of formative exchanges to give the floor to the students in order to let them express themselves and also give them an opinion on the problem arising from the lesson.