How do we raise teenagers who become ethical and responsible citizens, leaders in their fields, critical thinkers, resilient change-makers, effective problem solvers and happy, independent adults?
These are questions worth sitting with, and cognitive education offers some compelling answers.
What is Cognitive Education?
Cognitive education is an intentional approach that focuses on developing howto think, rather than what to think. At its core is the work of Professor Reuven Feuerstein, who believed deeply in the learning propensity of every person. “People can modify,” he said. “This requires no miracle, only hard work.” His theory of Structural Cognitive Modifiability holds that intelligence is not fixed and that meaningful changes in thinking and cognitive function are possible at any age, regardless of limitations or past experiences.
Why is this relevant for teenagers?
The teenage years are a time of emotional change and neurological reorganisation. During this stage, adolescents are expected to draw on cognitive functions including self-regulation, planning, problem-solving, comparison, decision-making, critical thinking and social judgement – skills required not only for academic learning, but for navigating everyday life.
Cognitive education develops these skills intentionally and explicitly, encouraging curiosity, metacognition, flexibility and adaptability. When taught well, it fosters agency, resilience, independence and confidence in young people.
What does this look like in practice?
In a typical Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment lesson, teenagers are not simply absorbing content, they are asking questions, debating, hypothesising and seeking logical evidence, all while learning to listen to differing viewpoints with respect and curiosity. The cognitive tasks may appear straightforward, but the thinking they require is anything but. Learners develop habits of mind that transfer well beyond the classroom.
Who might benefit from cognitive education?
Cognitive education is relevant for a wide range of young people – those who find school demanding and need support with focus, organisation, planning, memory, reasoning or critical thinking; those who are managing well but would benefit from enrichment and extension; and those who simply value self-development and want to strengthen the way they think and learn.
Finding out more
Cognitive education programmes such as CEA (Cognitive Enrichment Advantage) and FIE (Feuerstein’s Instrumental Enrichment) are available in various settings. Bellavista iThemba’s Centre for Cognitive Education offers these programmes to teenagers and adults outside of a traditional school environment. More information is available at bellavista.org.za.
By Lauren Davis, Deputy Principal and Director for Cognitive Education at Bellavista School
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1 thought on “Are We Teaching Teenagers How To Think?”
We’re teaching them _a lot_. But “how to think” and “what to memorize” often get mixed up.The truth is teenagers are already thinking constantly. About identity, friends, fairness, money, the future. We just don’t always give them structures to practice that thinking out loud without penalty.