Advance P4C (Level Three)

Advance P4C, the Thoughtful Level Three Course consolidates and challenges the established understanding of advanced P4C practitioners to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and experiences you need to refine and reimagine your own practice and share your expertise so that you can more successfully and sustainably support your students, your colleagues and the wider P4C community. 

When you take the course you will: 

• experience taking part in innovative P4C practice 
• theorise about the founding principles of P4C and engage with critical view 
• facilitate dialogue around controversies and in challenging circumstances  
• plan institution-wide P4C and/or ambitious P4C projects  
• evaluate the impact of your work through action research 
• apply P4C in a range of contexts and in support of a wider range of needs 

Minimum participants: 8 
Maximum participants: 22 

Completion of Develop P4C, the Level Two Course for intermediate P4C practitioners 

At least 50 hours of P4C practice 

12 directed hours for the core course, plus up to 6 self-directed hours for the complete course

There are four formats for a Thoughtful Level Three course:

2 sessions: 2 days, e.g. 2 X 09.00 – 16.00 
3 sessions: 3 half days, e.g. 3 X 09.00 – 13.00 
4 sessions: 1 day followed by 3 twilights, e.g. 1 X 09.00 – 16.00 and 3 X 15.30 – 17.30 
6 sessions: 6 twilights, e.g. 15.30 – 17.30

Each course follows the same structure: Experience, Theorise, Plan, Facilitate, Evaluate and Apply P4C.

Note that this course is still under development and these questions are in draft:

Module One: Experience P4C 

• What is it like to be challenged in P4C?  
• What is it like to talk about controversial issues?  

Module Two: Theorise P4C 

• Should P4C promote reasonableness? 
• Does P4C promote relativism?  

Module Three: Plan P4C 

• What can I learn from other’s P4C plans?  
• How do I plan more ambitious P4C projects?

Module Four: Facilitate P4C 

• Is facilitation always non-directive?  
• How do I facilitate controversial conversations? 

Module Five: Evaluate P4C 

• Can research on P4C improve my practice? 
• Can my practice contribute to P4C research?  

Module Six: Apply P4C 

• How do diverse practices of P4C compare?  
• How can I model good practice for others? 

Module Seven: Practise P4C 

• This module requires you to define and address your own action research question.  

Module Eight

• This module requires you to provide evidence of engaging with the preceding questions.    

As PDFs via Arlo our learner portal: 

• Thoughtful Level 3 course handbook 
• Deck of key slides (in handout format) 
• Selected course readings
   

The course must be led by a registered Level Three Thoughtful Trainer.  

Evidence P4C is the final self directed module of the Level One course. This module constitutes the course assessment. Assessment involves providing short reflective answers to the key questions associated with the Experience, Theorise, Plan, Facilitate, Evaluate, Apply and Practise modules

The purpose of assessment is to consolidate your learning and support your reflective practice. We recommend that you collect your reflections in your course handbook as the course progresses. 

The Evidence P4C (assessment) module seeks to establish that the participant has:   

• Engaged with the exercise e.g. by answering all of questions with two or more sentences.  

• Understood the course content e.g. by using accurate and relevant P4C vocabulary.   

• Assimilated their learning e.g. by connecting P4C to their existing knowledge and skills. 

• Reflected on the course and their practice e.g. by offering personal interpretations and examples. 

The course outcomes are as follows:

• Certificate of Attendance (for those with 100% attendance (i.e. they have attended 6/6 modules)
• Option to catch up via video and assessment for those with > 66.67 % attendance (i.e. they have attended 4/6 or 5/6 modules)
• Option to re-take the course with < 66.67 % attendance (i.e. they have attended just 1, 2, or 3 modules out of 6).

Those with a L3 Certificate of Attendance may apply for a L3 Certificate of Achievement which is obtained after completing Practise P4C and Evidence P4C and passing the assessment.

They have 6 months from the end of L3 to do this (see further certification guidance).