International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

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Teachers as Facilitators through Philosophy for Children (P4C) Training: A Systematic Literature Review

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Raja Qatrun Nada Binti Raja Mohd Tariqi, Hafizhah Binti Zulkifli, Nor Azwahanum Nor Shaid

Pages 1553-1573 Received: 16 Aug, 2026 Revised: 11 Sep, 2026 Published Online: 28 Sep, 2026

http://dx.doi.org/10.46886/IJARBSS/v16-i9/22085
Philosophy for Children (P4C) positions teachers as facilitators of inquiry rather than transmitters of knowledge. This systematic literature review synthesises evidence on how P4C training supports teachers' facilitation competencies and the challenges that shape classroom implementation. Guided by PRISMA 2020, studies were identified from Scopus, Web of Science and Taylor & Francis using predefined search strings and eligibility criteria. Twenty studies published from 2021 to 2026 were included and synthesised thematically. Three themes emerged: teacher transformation, facilitation competencies, and implementation challenges. Across the literature, P4C-related training supported a shift towards dialogic and student-centred teaching, improved questioning and active-listening practices, strengthened teachers' capacity to develop critical, creative and caring thinking, and supported the formation of communities of inquiry. Implementation was constrained by uneven teacher confidence, curricular pressure, limited time and resources, and cultural or institutional expectations that favour teacher-centred instruction. The review indicates that effective P4C professional development should be sustained, practice-oriented and supported through feedback, reflection and collegial learning. These findings provide a basis for designing context-sensitive P4C teacher-development initiatives, including in Malaysian education.
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