The experiences of elementary school teachers regarding teacher's experience as philosopher-teachers

This study attempts to investigate teachers’ experience as educational philosophers based on the experiences of elementary school teachers. Research method is qualitative. The population consisted of all elementary school teachers of Ize City. The sample size was not determined in advance, but, using a purposive method, sampling continued to the point of saturation which occurred after interviewing forty subjects (participants) who were willing to be interviewed. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data.Data from the interviews were analyzed based on van Manen’s phenomenological method. The gathered data were analyzed in order to explain this lived experience. Then the resultant processed findings were returned to participants for validation. The findings include 20 themes which were categorized in 4 major axes. The first axis comprising major tasks of the teacher included 7 themes: goal setting, friendly relations, and attention to individual differences, motivating, strengthening team spirit, strengthening accountability, and assessment of students. The second axis under the title of fostering critical thinking subsumes 5 themes: creating a challenging environment, posing the question or issue, opportunities for contemplation and reflection, participatory methods and criticism. The third axis covering creative thinking includes 6 themes: discovery methods, creating opportunities for practical activities, encouraging student's creativity, creative patterns, and creative curiosity. In the fourth axis called deepening of knowledge 2 themes were identified: research and teaching aids. Since it is the teacher that copes with the actual conditions of teaching and has first hard knowledge of students’ interests, demands needs and abilities, he can provide grounds for an autonomous learning process. Also, if the teacher is to be successful in teaching thinking, he should be a philosopher - teacher who can make use of all the factors that support the cultivation of critical thinking in students.