Questions for Inquiry and the Activation of Critical Thinking in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

This paper explores the influence of the questions posed by a teacher in the activation of critical thinking among early childhood education students. We analysed the discursive interactions between the teacher and the students during an inquiry-based task about the fall of objects in order to identify which critical thinking skills and dispositions would be promoted among the students through teacher’s questions. The results show her questions activate the skills of explanation, inference, and analysis. Among the dispositions promoted by the teacher systematicity stands out. Nonetheless, the enactment on behalf of the children of some dispositions were not present, which might be explained by the fact that dispositions require more time to develop. It is concluded that the formulation of questions by the teacher activates critical thinking skills and that, were this teaching strategy an integral part of early childhood education, it would bring benefits to students.