ABSTRACT
This paper deals with the theme of educating to think. The education to thought is a highly topical methodology, in terms of critical thinking and doubt, which initiates processes of reflection and moves away from rigid and dogmatic visions. The central point concerns the opportunity to promote a rational activity, not understood as a fideistic attitude towards the great possibilities of reason, but as a desire to direct the educational process on a well-founded scientific basis. There are many formulations in support of educating to think; they have inspired concrete teaching methodologies focused on the development of critical thinking, preferring doubt, research, cooperative activity, problem solving. Among them, a prominent place is occupied by Cooperative Learning and Problem-Based Learning. They are characterized by analogous aspects and by different factors, but are oriented towards a common intentionality related to the development of critical and creative thinking, through the strategy of dialogue. The paper highlights the reasons for the motivated interest in the indicated topic, underlining the need, connected to the current historical-social context, for a review of learning methods. Cooperative Learning and Problem-Based Learning are examined, highlighting the fundamental characteristics and educational objectives. The conditions for creating a suitable climate for effective learning based on skills and competences to be improved are underlined, describing the teaching methods of interest. These are innovative teaching methods capable of involving pupils and students, making them interact, aware of their knowledge and acquisitions, trying to develop their critical and creative thinking. Regarding science education, the indications of scientific and pedagogical literature to direct students underline the use of the inquiry-based laboratory teaching methodology, to deal with issues of social relevance and close to students, and the use of an interdisciplinary approach. A detailed example of the application of Problem-Based Learning for science related to mathematics, as its language, for primary school is also provided before the conclusions.
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