What is 4C’s Thinking?

In P4C, four types of thinking are central to our values and practice. It is one of the most important aspects of P4C – so important in fact that the P4C China logo is based on the 4Cs.  

These are the four types of P4C thinking:

Caring thinking: this is all about respect for others in the community of inquiry and respect for the subject of the inquiry.  Students can display caring thinking by showing that they are listening well to others and that they value their contributions.

Collaborative thinking:  this is about helping the community as a whole to progress.  Students show that they are thinking collaboratively when they communicate well with each other and build on each other's ideas.

Critical thinking: this is about questioning and reasoning well.  Good critical thinking involves giving good reasons, looking for evidence, testing out ideas, seeking understanding and making valid judgements.

Creative thinking: this involves making connections and suggesting ideas. A good creative thinker makes comparisons, provides examples and suggests alternative lines of thought.

A well-facilitated P4C session will draw out all four types of thinking, although the facilitator may choose to focus on one in particular to develop the skills within the community of inquiry.

The 4Cs also provide a useful framework for evaluating an inquiry.  The facilitator and the students can review how effective they were across all four types of thinking.  If they feel that they need to develop in any of the four areas, they can plan to make that the focus of the next inquiry.

Your P4C training will show how to develop 4Cs thinking in your inquiries.  Contact us for more information.