Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 PhD student in Philosophy of Education, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
2 Associate Professor of Philosophy of Education, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran
3 Professor of Philosophy of Education, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran
4 Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Abstract
Picture storybooks, as one of children's earliest engagements with conceptual understanding, function not only as educational and entertaining media but also as profound vehicles for conveying complex ideas. This qualitative study investigates the inherent philosophical-educational capacities of such texts by analyzing 15 notable picture storybooks (4 Iranian and 11 international). Data were collected through a “philosophical-educational reading and analysis” of both texts and illustrations and were examined using the “reflective intellectual content analysis” method in conjunction with Corbin's (2014) three-stage coding process (open, axial, and selective). The analytical procedure, which commenced with 102 initial codes and was refined through 15 components, ultimately yielded four overarching, interconnected capacities that constitute the conceptual framework of this study. These capacities are: (1) Dialectical Thinking—the ability to understand phenomena through contradictions and shifts in perspective; (2) Creative Agency—the capacity to engage in purposeful and transformative action; (3) Relational Ethics—the practice of interaction grounded in empathy and mutual responsibility; and (4) Existential Inquiry—the critical examination of human identity and our place in the world. The findings demonstrate that these four capacities, as an integrated foundation, are consistently present across diverse picture storybooks and underpin their profound philosophical-educational dimensions. This framework offers practical implications for authors and illustrators in the creation, evaluation, and deliberate selection of picture storybooks, for specialists in children’s literature and curriculum design, and for the facilitation of philosophical dialogues with children. Furthermore, it advances the recognition of the philosophical-educational potential of these texts beyond their entertainment value within both research and educational contexts.
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