A Matter Of Fact?

When it comes to helping students develop their understanding of a subject, a thorough grounding in substantive knowledge – the ‘who?’, ‘what?’, ‘when?’ ‘where?’ and ‘how?’ – is a must. But they must also be taught to ask ‘why’ they are learning certain information. If not, we leave children ignorant of the ways in which ‘truth’ is established or refuted and, ultimately, vulnerable to fake news, argues Clare Sealy.

- Clare Sealy

It starts early, almost certainly before school age for most. And when it begins, it stays, prising open every utterance and action like a lexical crowbar. Whereas before you could take a shower, make dinner, admonish, ask and dictate without question, suddenly there is a toddler at every turn asking you, simply and innocently, “Why?”

While it may be frustrating for parents to have to explain the rationale for their every move in each different context, the asking of “why” is a crucial step in the development of thought and it should also go on to have a fundamental role in how we teach children. But, disappointingly, too often it doesn’t. Because the concept of asking “why” has become very muddled in the ideological wars currently raging between teachers.

Knowledge is having a comeback in schools, riding into classrooms on the shoulders of cognitive science. While many have embraced it, some have fought back – particularly for primary age groups – and proclaimed knowledge as being “just pub quiz facts” fed to defenceless young children. These critics have repeatedly asked why those facts have been “picked” as if this is a useful argument against knowledge.

But actually, asking why those facts have been chosen – and also why they are viewed and used in a certain way – is part of knowledge: a hugely important part.

It is just a part that, despite children’s natural curiosity, is often being ignored or misunderstood. And it is time we did something about it.

It turns out there’s a lot to know about knowledge. First of all, we have to learn that knowledge includes “knowing how” (procedural knowledge) as well as “knowing that” (declarative knowledge).