Thinking Processes Level 6 (Years 9 and 10)
Learning focus
As students work towards the achievement of Level 6 standards in Thinking Processes, they become discriminating thinkers, capable of making informed decisions about controversial and complex issues. They are supported to put effort into sustained thinking in order to construct deep understanding of key concepts across the curriculum. They continually reflect on their own thinking and identify assumptions that may influence their ideas. They seek to develop coherent knowledge structures and recognise gaps in their understanding. They are challenged to identify, use, reflect on, evaluate and modify a variety of effective thinking strategies to inform future choices.
Students begin to formulate and test hypotheses, contentions and conjectures and to collect evidence to support or reject them. They develop their skills in synthesising complex information and solving problems that include a wide range of variables. Students develop questioning techniques appropriate to the complexity of ideas they investigate, to probe into and elicit information from varying sources. They work with others to modify their initial questions and to develop further their understanding that sources of information may vary in their validity.
Students explore differing perspectives and issues in depth and identify a range of creative possibilities. They are encouraged to examine and acknowledge a range of perspectives on an issue and to accommodate diversity. They engage positively with novelty and difference and are innovative in the ways they define and work through tasks, and find solutions. They practise creative thinking behaviours and strategies to find solutions, synthesise information and understand complex ideas.
In inquiry projects, students select appropriate strategies and connect existing knowledge and new knowledge to process and organise information. They begin to analyse the relationships between ideas, and synthesise these to form coherent knowledge.
Students recognise that different disciplines use different methodologies to create and verify knowledge. They investigate a variety of discipline-based methodologies and reflect on their usefulness in different contexts; for example, the application of the scientific methodology of hypothesis, observation, data collection and conclusion in contexts other than science. They continue to evaluate their solutions using appropriate criteria and identify assumptions that may underpin a particular line of reasoning.
Standards
Reasoning, processing and inquiry
At Level 6, students discriminate in the way they use a variety of sources. They generate questions that explore perspectives. They process and synthesise complex information and complete activities focusing on problem solving and decision making which involve a wide range and complexity of variables and solutions. They employ appropriate methodologies for creating and verifying knowledge in different disciplines. They make informed decisions based on their analysis of various perspectives and, sometimes contradictory, information.
Creativity
At Level 6, students experiment with innovative possibilities within the parameters of a task. They take calculated risks when defining tasks and generating solutions. They apply selectively a range of creative thinking strategies to broaden their knowledge and engage with contentious, ambiguous, novel and complex ideas.
Reflection, evaluation and metacognition
At Level 6, when reviewing information and refining ideas and beliefs, students explain conscious changes that may occur in their own and others’ thinking and analyse alternative perspectives and perceptions. They explain the different methodologies used by different disciplines to create and verify knowledge. They use specific terms to discuss their thinking, select and use thinking processes and tools appropriate to particular tasks, and evaluate their effectiveness.
Downloads
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Thinking Processes booklet (
PDF - 224KB) - Thinking Processes standards table (Doc - 40KB)
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Victorian Essential Learning Standards Level 6 ( PDF - 788KB)
