APPENDIX III

Teachers' Questionnaires

 

  1. What was your first impression on the fact that the pupils in your class were

    2. attending PSE – Thinking Skills sessions?

    ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

     

  2. As the programme on Thinking Skills developed, how did you regard these sessions?

    3. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

     

  3. Now that the Thinking Skills sessions have to come to a closure what impact have they left on you?

    4. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

     

  4. Did the pupils explain to you what they did in the Thinking Skills sessions?

    5. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

     

  5. Did they ask you to use the thinking tools for problem solving or to generate ideas in the classroom? Can you give some examples?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

6. What is the overall impression of the pupils as regards the Thinking Skills? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TEACHERS’ RESPONSES TO QUESTIONNAIRES

(T1)

  1. Being a new topic I was interested to learn how P.S.E. teachers tackled these sessions.
  2. As part of the curriculum.
  3. I have learnt a lot how to deal and tackle different situations and topics with the children.
  4. As I always attended the sessions, I knew exactly what children did (in my group because the children in my class were divided into two groups).
  5. The children never asked me to use thinking tools for problem solving. Being young, I think that Year 1 pupils were more interested in drawing at conclusion of lesson.
  6. Thinking skills helps the children to think before they talk or do something. It helps them choose the best way for doing things later on in life

(T2)

  1. AT first I was concerned as in my class I had many children who were still very young and the topic was new.
  2. This new topic has become part of the lessons - it has integrated very well.
  3. Personally, I have learnt a lot - especially how to tackle a new topic or situation but I am still not sure if the children have understood (being still young) how important these lessons are.
  4. The class was divided into two groups and I attended the sessions of one group but I do not know what happened in the other class/group.
  5. The children never asked me to use the thinking tools in class. I think that now it is up to us teachers to use the methods. It would be a good idea if the teachers were given more information about the methods.
  6. When I asked the children what they do and why they think they are attending these sessions, they replied "We go there to learn how to draw". I think that these sessions are very useful and that they will help the children later - but now they are still young to understand.

 (T3)

  1. I think that the idea behind it was good - gave the children time to think in 'alternative' ways. My first impression was that it would be similar to Civics but it wasn't.
  2. Children enjoyed the session, because they were given the chance to express their thoughts freely.
  3. They have given me some interesting ideas about handling group-work and letting children talk and express their opinion freely without being afraid of doing a mistake.
  4. I was with them. They were (negatively) impressed by the 'man with three arms' session. They however liked the fact that they could talk freely. They were not afraid of mistakes like they are in class.
  5. No. I think the children were too young to apply the idea out of a PSE class (5-6 year olds).
  6. They enjoyed it even though it was at times too intensive for the slower pupils. They learnt to talk more in turns.

(T4)

  1. I was as excited as the children because although I had attended the course, I felt I had not enough knowledge on how to apply these tools. Consequently I was as eager as my pupils to attend these sessions.
  2. I regarded these sessions as time fulfilling - each lesson, each thinking tool was a treasure to be discovered.
  3. They have made me realise that before starting a new activity, a new project, or a new undertaking, I must apply the thinking tools we discussed during the sessions. I gained as much as the children did from these sessions.
  4. The group who were with the other teacher always recounted what a lovely enjoyable time they had had, what a fantastic subject they had discussed. They also showed me, enthusiastically, their drawings of the subject they had just discussed.
  5. Although they enjoyed the thinking skills sessions very much, I have to say that, no, they did not ask me to use these tools to solve problems in class or to generate ideas.
  6. My overall impression is that the children really enjoyed these sessions and they looked forward to them. They have come also to love the Thinking Skills teachers. I can honestly say that these sessions were not a waste of time at all.

(T5)

  1. I did not know what they were going to be involved in.
  2. Interesting.
  3. I enjoyed them when I attended and the lessons gave me ideas to integrate in class.
  4. Yes and their feedback was very interesting. They enjoyed the lessons very much.
  5. No, this connection was never made by the children in my class.
  6. They enjoyed it very much yet they didn't associate the tools to other subjects in class such as conversation etc.

(T6)

1. Positive impression.

2. __________

3. __________

4. Occasionally they did. They seemed to have enjoyed it and they were enthusiastic about the novelty.

5. Yes they did. The children were asked to think well before. E.g. buying presents for Christmas. The needs of a person (like a grandmother) would very from those of mother. Along with the needs one can consider likes, age etc. Thus when buying presents these factors were taught to be kept in mind.

6. It seems that the programme had a positive influence.

 

(T7)

1. Very glad.

2. With pleasure.

3. ___________

4. Very few.

5. Never.

6. Can’t tell.

(T8)

1. Very positive indeed. Pupils need from a very young age to develop good thinking skills.

2. These sessions were very interesting. I found them excellently prepared and delivered. The pupils enjoyed them and looked forward to them.

3. They have helped the students and myself to think more before acting. It has certainly helped them in their compositions. Unfortunately the imagination of young children is often suffocated at school thus through the thinking skills lessons this problem is being addressed.

4. Not always. Partly because I have been present for most of the sessions. However when I did not attend some pupils explained to me what they were doing especially during the project.

5. No they didn’t. I think that perhaps they are still a bit young for this but I’m sure that some children do apply the skills learnt from time to time. However, thinking skills should be practised throughout the year.

6. They think they are great. Very enjoyable and exciting. Never complained.

(T9)

1. That they would be beneficial to the student. Good for me as it would give me time to correct some copybooks etc.

2. I noticed that students looked forward to them.

3. I can’t really tell if the skills taught are being used in classroom work.

4. Only lately since they are doing models.

5. No.

6. ___________

(T10)

1. I spent an hour in peace.

2. Most children looked forward to attending the sessions. Most probably it helped to break the daily class routine.

3. Some children seemed to have calmed down. They were very troublesome and fidgety during the first term.

4. Very few of them did.

5. No.

6. They enjoyed the sessions but did not apply what they heard to actual instances.

 

(T11)

1. My first impression was that I would have less hours available for teaching a year 6 class which after all is not an A stream class. After all, the syllabus has to be finished by mid-January.

2. They are interesting and help children think. Since there is no exam on this subject, children enjoy these sessions.

3. As a grown-up they are part of me but as regards to the children they have to be kept reminded of them every time they need to use them.

4. Not always as we have very little free time. Children are not ‘A’ level so it takes a long time for them to understand the lessons. It would have been better if children had these lessons after their Junior Lyceum exams.

5. No, they never mention them. It’s as if they never attended such classes.

6. You have to keep reminding them and help them again if you want them to use them. They never mentioned them either in composition or whenever some necessity arose.