When is a standard a ‘standard’? An exploratory study on the standards used in the training of facilitators in Philosophy for/with Children

The popularisation of the Philosophy for/with Children (P4/wC) pedagogical method has given rise to a range of diverse training programs for prospective philosophical dialogue facilitators. This raises questions around what types of standards and practices are being targeted in these programs, as well as around the sorts of facilitator competencies being valued, identified and developed. What, for instance, are some of the similarities and dissimilarities between providers of training programs? A questionnaire was developed by the authors, each experienced in P4/wC facilitation, and forwarded to seventeen established P4/wC facilitator training providers across nine countries. An analysis of responses revealed that while facilitator competencies, such as ‘listening skills’, figured in responses, references to sound ‘management skills’ featured more frequently than ‘facilitation skills’. Additionally, while the possession of a philosophical or pedagogical background of facilitator candidates was typically not required, responses were suggestive that facilitators could in time attain the desired pedagogical and philosophical knowledge and experience to effectively facilitate the P4/wC method. In this study, we examine these and other findings.