< Previous | Contents | Next >

Education Forum on Teaching Thinking Skills Report

Summing Up and the Way Forward

Sam Galbraith, the Minister for Children and Education, thanked all those present for their contributions to developing thinking skills in schools. He reiterated his commitment to ensure that a report of the day's discussion was disseminated widely.

The following points were made by the discussion groups:

Research

• Good quality research and assessment and teaching methods and their impact are required.
• Action research groups in schools and education authorities should be encouraged.
• Teacher researchers should be supported by the development of standardised measures/instruments so the impact of teaching thinking skills can be systematically evaluated in the classroom.
• A nation-wide survey of the extent to which thinking skills have permeated learning and teaching in Scottish schools is required.

Benefits

• Benefits include empowerment and enthusiasm of both staff and pupils.
• The methods articulate well with the concept of lifelong learning, both for academic purposes and for citizenship.
• There may be a conflict between the quality of children's learning and the focus on measurable targets: benefits may only be apparent in the long-term.

Sharing best practice

• Best practice must be shared and education authorities supported as they disseminate it within their schools.
• A network should be created to facilitate sharing of ideas and good practice.
• A steering group, composed of staff from schools and higher education institutions, should be formed. It can collate and disseminate exemplars of good practice.

In-service and pre-service training

• Quality training and time to implement it are required.
• A series of national and area conferences, both for in-service and pre-service training, should support implementation.
• Staff development across subject areas will encourage embedding of thinking skills within subjects.
• SEED should support training.

And finally

All agreed that they would welcome a chance to meet again to discuss results.

< Previous | Contents | Next >