Educational Dis-Orientation, Navigating uncertainty through Philosophy for Children

This research aims to explore the potential of Philosophy for Children (P4C) as a transformative, social, and collective approach to educational orientation (EO), particularly in a post-pandemic world where the need to accompany new generations towards well-being and well-becoming is increasingly critical. It challenges the traditional individual talent-oriented guidance that has dominated European and Italian public policy since the early 21st century. By analyzing the disciplinary possibilities and introducing a didactic proposal using the P4C methodology, the study investigates how P4C fosters critical, creative, and caring thinking through engagement with life's essential and philosophical questions in a collective manner. The research also evaluates P4C's prospects as a collective orientation, using case studies conducted in public schools in Italy and the United States. These case studies demonstrate that P4C's methodology may transcend cultural differences, suggesting its potential applicability beyond the contexts studied, based on the premise that philosophy as a collective practice is a universally human experience of thinking -and therefore orienting- life. Furthermore, by exploring dis-orientation within the P4C learning environment, the research offers a pivotal perspective on EO; one that embraces uncertainty and collectively navigates complex challenges. It emphasizes how philosophical inquiry enables participants to share the burden of feeling lost and dis-oriented and collaboratively develop strategies to cope with these challenges. This approach addresses the urgent need for educational practices that prepare students for a socially complex and uncertain present and future, fostering collaboration among diverse perspectives and promoting respect and value for others through philosophical inquiry. In doing so, it highlights the importance of creating educational strategies that go beyond individualistic, labor-insertion intended interventions. Emphasizing the design of the personal path with its social anchorage, orienting orientation into a community commitment.