Thinking and curriculum

This article aims to prompt discussion about thinking in the school curriculum. It begins with a brief exploration of thinking, in which the difficulty of defining and classifying thinking is acknowledged. The notion that the brain is a complex “living” and emerging system is at the core of this. A justification for emphasising thinking in education follows. Some thinking-focused strategies currently being used in schools are described and critiqued. These include those across, within and extra to curriculum. The next part is concerned with aspects of thinking to be considered when developing or changing curricula, including some possible steps to improve the change process.