examples of teaching philosophy in higher education

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My teaching philosophy

M ost of us do not give much thought to our teaching philosophy until we have to sit down and write such a document. In my role with our teaching center, I often have colleagues ask for tips and advice on how to write a statement of teaching philosophy. In today’s post, I want to share my teaching philosophy statement. It isn’t perfect and could use improvement. However, I hope it will be helpful to think about writing your own teaching philosophy.

My Teaching Philosophy Statement

As a professional field, higher education requires students to understand and apply research and theory to practice.

The development of scholar-practitioners and practitioner-aware scholars are of paramount concern.

My teaching philosophy is that the best learning occurs when students are challenged to apply content and concepts to the real world.

I view my role as a guide ensuring that the class stays on the path. Both students and instructor are responsible for reaching our destination, and students should focus on the goals of learning and less on product and grade.

Professors should foster this sense by placing greater emphasis on improvement and active participation as opposed to rigid repetition and regurgitation. In addition, my responsibility is to learn from my students in order to improve my teaching and my understanding of the views of practitioners currently working in the field.

My classroom dynamics reflect an understanding that students learn differently. However, I believe everyone benefits from active engagement with the course material and one another.

In a graduate program, students are colleagues and should be treated accordingly. In addition, the fostering of social connections and extra-curricular activities in the program facilitates student learning inside and outside the classroom.

Professors should be available to their students before, during, and after class.

Additionally, we should not overestimate the seriousness of the work we do and remember the humor necessary to maintain a proper balance.

Overall, professors should support students inside and outside the classroom, mentor students, and push them to achieve their professional and personal pursuits.

Instructional Approaches  

The relationship between professor, subject matter, and student is a primary consideration in fostering learning and as a result my instructional approach mirrors this belief.

During each class session, I present a challenge, puzzle, or problem that students are unable to solve without utilizing and engaging with the subject matter. My role is to be keenly aware of student responses and comments in order to connect with students and improve their learning and understanding.

This approach takes various forms depending on the nightly topic.

For example, in EDU 6392: Foundations and History of American Higher Education, one of the topics is “Higher Education for a Freed People.” I split the class into two groups where one represents Booker T. Washington and the other W.E.B. Dubois.

The class debates the merits of the postsecondary philosophies espoused by Washington and Dubois through the use of primary source material with students often vigorously arguing for their assigned position.

In all of my classes, I make extensive use of case studies based on problems of practice and the research literature. Administrators do not often face neat and simple problems that have clear right and wrong answers.

Case studies allow students to work with messy problems found in the real world.

This necessitates that students rely on the research literature, their own experience, and the experience of others in the class in the pursuit of positive outcomes.

I do not believe my role is that of sage dispensing information to students and as a result I tend to avoid lecture and other formal classroom activities.

Instead, I focus on improving the decisions that students make by cultivating their understanding of content, theory, research, and practice.

My goal is for students to leave the classes I teach with growth in two skills: the ability to write academically and the ability to think critically about higher education as a system.

To improve student writing, I spend a significant amount of time working individually with students both in and out of class to assist with their writing.

In my writing assignments, I have students submit multiple drafts to learn a better writing process. When grading first drafts, I use video grading to leverage technology benefits of giving feedback. With video grading, I can record my comments with the student’s paper. This allows me to give specific and actionable edits for improving writing.

Helping students with their writing is a hallmark of my classes and an aspect of my teaching that students note as valuable.

To encourage my students to think critically about the system of higher education, I have them read InsideHigherEd, a free online news site for higher education. We spend ten minutes at the beginning of each class discussing the week’s issues and their impact on higher education.

Moreover, during class discussions or when using case studies, I encourage students to think about institutions different than those that they have experienced as a student or professional.

When engaging with course content, I urge them to consider the broad impact of ideas and concepts across the range of institutions that comprise higher education.

I believe this helps students critically analyze issues and make better decisions as administrators.

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Center for Teaching and Learning

• Documenting Your Teaching

Writing a Teaching Philosophy or a Teaching Statement

Strictly speaking, your teaching philosophy is a written description of your values, goals, and beliefs regarding both teaching and learning. By contrast, your teaching statement develops from your teaching philosophy and uses evidence from your teaching to make the case that you have excelled as a teacher. (In practice, of course, these terms are often used interchangeably.) As a general expression of your beliefs and practices, your teaching philosophy can shape your syllabi or  introduce your course website. As an argument for excellence, your teaching statement is more appropriate for your dossier or a job application. Regardless of whether you are on the market or preparing your dossier for promotion, or whether you simply want to help your students better understand who you are as a teacher, the following resources will help get you started on the process of articulating your beliefs about and goals for teaching. Consult our companion bibliography Resources for Teaching Portfolios for additional readings.

Identify what is important to you as an instructor

Before you begin writing, or even if you are in the process of editing, it is a good idea to find out what you value and believe as an educator and how you demonstrate those values and beliefs while you teach. Utilize the following tools to help you accomplish this admittedly daunting task.

• Complete the Teaching Perspectives Inventory . This tools will help you identify your ideas about learning and about teaching.
• Complete the Teaching Goals Inventory . This tool will help you identify the goals you have for your students.
• Answer these Questions to Consider . Your responses will ultimately form the basis of your teaching statement.

Write a general teaching philosophy

Review what you have learned about yourself using the above tools and write an explanation of your beliefs as an instructor. Do not worry about length at this point. The purpose here is to articulate your ideas about teaching and learning and to describe how these ideas inform your actual teaching. Focus on your beliefs, and avoid writing a narrative about how or why you became a college instructor. The multiple resources listed below or in the sidebar will help you with this stage of the process.

Adapt your general philosophy to the intended purpose and audience (i.e., create a teaching statement)

Much like your curriculum vitae, teaching philosophies are designed to be adapted and developed for various purposes, including but not limited to promotion and tenure dossiers, job applications, and your course website. Study the sample teaching statements in the links provided in the sidebar to generate ideas and help refine your own text.

• Statements for promotion and tenure dossiers often have to follow a particular format, so it is wise to review institutional guidelines and published sample dossiers. You can find examples from IUPUI faculty at the Office of Academic Affairs website.
• Statements for job applications may not only be limited in terms of word count or page number, but should be tailored according to the job description. For example, if you are applying for a job that involves working with a specific student population, be sure to address your experience with that sort of population in your statement. Similarly, if you will be expected to teach a certain course or set of courses, your statement should reflect your beliefs regarding learning in those courses or types of courses.
• Your teaching philosophy itself is appropriate for course websites; however, it should not only be tailored to the course in question, but also to the audience--i.e., the prospective and current students for that course. The philosophy should convey not only your general beliefs and practices, but your personality as well. Consider creating a bullet-list of the most important aspects of your philosophy and what your beliefs mean for students (i.e., what should students expect from you as a result of your beliefs?). You may even want to record a video of yourself explaining your philosophy.

Evaluate your statement

Ask colleagues, both inside and outside of your discipline, to review your statement. If you are using the statement for a job application, be sure to provide your colleague a copy of the job description. You can also utilize one of the following rubrics to evaluate what you have written. Note that depending on the purposes of your statement, some of these items may not apply.

• Rubric for scoring statements of teaching philosophy
• Rubric for composing and evaluating a statement of teaching philosophy  

A Word about Structure

Following a clear rhetorical structure can make the task of composing and revising your teaching statement much less difficult. Consider using, for instance, Nancy Chism's Key Components model to organize your thoughts on a macro level and then create a topic sentence outline as you revise to focus your ideas on the paragraph level. The Chism model, the topic sentence outline, and some other helpful tips are explained below.

The Key Components Model

Developed by Nancy Chism, this model structures a teaching philosophy or teaching statement around five key component areas. These component areas consist of the answers to a number of important questions related to learning, teaching, goals, assessment, and professional development. The component areas and the questions related to them are all listed below. For more information, you can also read Dr. Chism's paper on the Key Components model . For another, different model for teaching philosophies and teaching statements, see Goodyear & Allchin (1998).

• How does learning take place?
• Based on my observation and experience, what do I think happens during a learning episode
• How do I facilitate learning?
• What are my assumptions about teaching?
• Why do I teach the way I do?
• How do I motivate, challenge, or support students?
• How do I deal with students who struggle?
• How do I vary my approach?
• As a result of learning, what do I expect my students to know, do, or value (in their careers and future lives)? Why?
• What does my teaching philosophy mean for my students?
• How are my conceptions of teaching and learning transformed into instructional strategies?
• What are the consequences of my instructional strategies?
• How do I know my teaching is effective?
• What data do I use to gauge my effectiveness?
• What goals have I set for myself as teacher?
• How will I accomplish these goals?
• What are some present challenges to overcome in order to achieve my goals?
• How have I developed?
• What evidence do I have that can demonstrate my development?
• What has changed over time in my assumptions and actions?
• How have I met goals that I set in the past?

The Topic Sentence Outline

After you have drafted your philosophy or statement, use the following steps to sharpen the focus of your paragraphs, which in turn will improve the coherence (i.e., flow) of your entire document. This approach can work for any sort of scholarly writing, and you can read more about it in this article by George Gopen and Judith Swan . For other writing and revision techniques, see Tara Gray's book, Publish & Flourish: Become a Prolific Scholar (2005).

• Cut and paste your thesis statement and the first sentence of each paragraph (i.e., your topic or key sentences) into a new document. Read through the outline you've created.
• The outline should convey your main point and highlight your subordinate points in a logical, if brief, manner. Ideally the outline should also hint at your evidence and highlight your concluding thought.
• If your outline does not clearly convey your main point, or if the flow of your subordinate points seems too disjointed, then revisit and revise your paragraphs. Begin by trying to locate the sentences that do contain each paragraph's central message (i.e., your subordinate points). As you then revise your paragraphs, move those sentences to the top of each paragraph (i.e., the topic sentence position). Next, make a new outline to see if the flow of your subordinate points has become clearer or more cogent.

Irrespective of the model you use, the following general tips can improve the focus, clarity, and coherence of your teaching philosophy or statement:

• Know your audiences and their needs or interests.
• Use specific, personal examples.
• Avoid buzzwords and jargon.
• Avoid statements of absolute fact, e.g., “Small group activities are the only way to build community in a freshman class.”
• Write in the first-person and the active voice, e.g., “I engage students with active learning techniques.” NOT “Students are engaged with active learning techniques.”
• Write more than you need and revise down. Be concise!

Resources and References

• Angelo, T. A. & Cross, K. P. (1993). The teaching goals inventory. Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers . (2 nd Ed.). (pp. 13-24). San Francisco, Jossey-Bass. 
• Chism, N.V.N. (1997-98). Developing a philosophy of teaching statement. Essays on teaching excellence: Toward the best in the academy 9 (3). 
• Faculty Focus. (2009). Philosophy of teaching statements: Examples and tips on how to write a teaching philosophy statement.  
• Goodyear, G. E. & Allchin, D. (1998) Statement of teaching philosophy. To Improve the Academy 17 , 103-22. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.
• Gopen, G. and J. Swan. (1990). The science of scientific writing. American scientist  78, 550-558. 
• Gray, Tara. (2005). Publish & flourish: Become a prolific scholar . Las Cruces, NM: Teaching Academy.
• Kearns, K. D., Subino Sullivan, C., O'Loughlin, V. D., & Braun, M. (2010). A scoring rubric for teaching statements: a tool for inquiry into graduate student writing about teaching and learning. Journal for Excellence in College Teaching, 21, 73-96. 
• O’Neal, C., Meizlish, D., & Kaplan, M. (2007). Writing a statement of teaching philosophy for the academic job search . CRLT Occasional Papers No. 23.  
• Pratt, D. D. & Collins, J. B. (2001). Teaching Perspectives Inventory . 
• The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University. (n.d.). Statement of teaching philosophy: Questions to consider.  

Video: Workshop on Teaching Philosophy

Watch this recorded workshop  video by Dr. Brian Coppola on effective strategies to formulate and write your teaching philosophy. Dr. Coppola is the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Michigan.

Workshop Abstract: A statement of teaching philosophy is a discipline-centered argument about one’s instructional practices. As with any other professional argumentation, the essay ought to have a thesis (or claim), and a coherent text that focuses on providing evidence that warrants the claim. In this workshop, participants will prepare an outline for their personal teaching statement. In preparation, participants should think about one sentence: a global statement about student learning that represents your most significant instructional goal.

Resources and Samples from Other Universities 

• Information on teaching portfolios and sample teaching portfolios (Vanderbilt University)
• Teaching philosophy and statement resources (University of Michigan)
• Process of writing a teaching philosophy and samples (University of Minnesota)

Philosophy of Teaching Articles from Faculty Focus 

Your concept of teaching, including a description of how you teach and the justifications for your strategies, constitute your personal philosophy of teaching. Faculty Focus is a free newsletter that publishes articles on effective teaching strategies for the online and college classroom. Articles published in the section of Philosophy of Teaching focus broadly on teaching philosophy in higher education and can provide new information that could help expand and enhance your philosophy of teaching. Some useful examples include:

Nine Characteristics of a Great Teacher

Strategies for Writing Better Teaching Philosophy Statements

Helping Students with Disabilities Reach Their Educational Goals: Reflections and Lessons Learned

Enhancing Out-of-Class Communication: Students’ Top 10 Suggestions

What Students Want: Characteristics of Effective Teachers from the Students’ Perspective

Revised by Anusha S. Rao (April 2020) Revised by James Gregory (November, 2016) Revised by James Gregory (October, 2015) Authored by Sarah Lang (April, 2012)

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Teaching Resources

Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement for the Academic Job Market

Resource overview.

Basic information about writing successful teaching philosophy statements for the academic market.

The Teaching Philosophy Statement is a concise and specific personal essay that describes your core approach(es) to teaching and learning and expresses how you understand your role in the classroom.

Basic Stylistic Conventions

The statement should be single spaced and one-two pages in length (unless otherwise specified for a particular job ad). In the essay, you’ll use the first person (“I” pronouns) and stick with the present tense (I do “x” when I teach “y”), whenever possible. You should limit technical jargon that may not be accessible to everyone on the committee, and be sure to define any needed technical terms clearly. The tone should be professional but conversational. In terms of formatting, it’s a good idea to match the rest of your job market documents (If you’ve written in Times New Roman 12pt for your CV and your job letter, then stick with that for this document as well).

Note that a teaching statement is not simply a list of your past teaching experiences or a list of what you can teach at the job you are applying too (these items will find there way into your job market materials through your CV, teaching portfolio, and other documents). It is also not an article on teaching, or a commentary on the general state of teaching today.

Purpose and Audience

When you write your teaching philosophy statement for an application for a faculty position, think about the reasons a search committee may request the document and try to anticipate questions the committee may have about your teaching, such as the following:

• Is this candidate qualified for the teaching responsibilities of the position?
• Does her approach to teaching suggest that she would be a good “fit” for our department and our students?
• Does this candidate want to teach? If so, why?
• If I were to step into a classroom and observe this candidate teaching, what would I see?
• How do this candidate’s research interests shape their teaching?
• What will this candidate add to our department? What will our students gain from their classes? What will our department gain in terms of specific courses, new opportunities for students to develop their skills and knowledge, and interesting pedagogical approaches?
• How does this candidate respond to the perennial challenges of teaching, such as motivating students to learn, evaluating student work, maintaining high standards in the classroom, and juggling teaching with other responsibilities?

What a Teaching Statement is Not:

• A list of your past teaching experiences and/or a list of what you can teach at the job you are applying to (Instead, do this more subtly by weaving in examples from your previous teaching that might highlight the ways that you are especially qualified for the teaching in this new position.)
• A summary of all your student evaluations (This goes in a teaching portfolio. That said, if  students consistently describe you in a way that is critical to your overarching teaching philosophy, choose a representative example or two that can demonstrate evidence of how your philosophy plays out in your teaching practice.)
• A summary of feedback from colleagues and mentors (See second bullet point.)
• An article on teaching
• A general philosophy about the state of teaching today

What Do Successful Statements Do?

Successful statements are forward and backwards looking. They draw on your previous teaching experiences with an eye towards the kind of work you may be asked to do in the role that you are applying for. They also demonstrate a narrative of progress, illustrating the ways that you’ve reflected on past experiences and intend to grow as a teacher in the future.

The best statements provide a clear and specific-to-you opening that guides the essay that follows. They also highlight concrete examples of specific course topics, assignments, assessments, and teaching methodologies that demonstrate how the overarching principles involved in your teaching philosophy are at work in particular contexts. They include representative examples which describe the breadth of your teaching experiences, relying particularly on those experiences which have most informed your practice.

Successful statements are also student-centered–they explain not just what you will do but also what students do in your courses. They are also attuned to the particular challenges associated with teaching in your discipline.

What Kinds of Experiences Can Be Drawn on?

Choose teaching experiences which showcase most clearly your teaching philosophy. If you haven’t had many opportunities for formal instruction, draw on your years of experience as a student and the informal teaching situations that you’ve be a part of: mentoring, leading study groups, community service, tutoring, etc. Explain how these experiences will influence your approach to teaching a college-level course.

Further Assistance

The Center for Teaching and Learning offers teaching philosophy statement workshops each semester for those at WashU on both the Danforth and Medical campuses. Consult our events page for more information. In addition, the CTL also offers the Jump-Start to Writing a Teaching Philosophy Stat Program, a month-long guided peer review opportunity that builds on the material from the initial workshop, while helping to facilitate the drafting and revision of the teaching statement. The Jump-Start program offers the opportunity for graduate students and postdocs to work in guided small groups to begin and advance the writing process. This program takes place in the fall and in the late spring each year.

Individual consultations with our staff on writing, revising, or tailoring your statements are also available for Washington University faculty, graduate students, and postdocs.

We also encourage graduate students and postdocs to consult with faculty advisors, mentors, and peers in your discipline about your teaching statement. Those in your discipline can provide specialized feedback that will help you improve your statement’s effectiveness and clarity.

Austin, Rachel Narehood. “Writing the Teaching Statement.” Science Careers. April 14, 2006. http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/art…  .

Chronicle of Higher Education, How to Write a Teaching Statement that Sings.  https://chroniclevitae.com/news/1114-how-to-write-a-teaching-statement-that-sings?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Haugen, Lee. “Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement.” Center for Teaching Effectiveness. Iowa State University.

Kearns, Katherine D. & Sullivan, Carol S. Resources and practices to help graduate students and postdoctoral fellows write statements of teaching philosophy. 2011.  http://advan.physiology.org/content/35/2/136.short

Lang, James M. “4 Steps to a Memorable Teaching Philosophy. The Chronicle of Higher Education. August 29, 2010.  http://chronicle.com/article/5-Steps-to-a-Memorable/124199/ .

Mangum, Teresa. “Views of the Classroom.” Insider Higher Education. October 28, 2009. http://www.insidehighered.com/advice/academic_career_confidential/mangum10 .

Montell, Gabriela. “How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. March 27, 2003.  http://chronicle.com/article/How-to-Write-a-Statement-of/45133 .

Montell, Gabriela. “What’s your Philosophy on Teaching, and Does it Matter?” The Chronicle of Higher Education. March 27, 2003.  http://chronicle.com/article/Whats-Your-Philosophy-on/45132/ .

O’Neal, Chris, Meizlish, Deborah, and Kaplan, Matthew. “Writing a Teaching Philosophy for the Academic Job Search.” CRLT Occasional Papers. No. 23. University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. 2007. http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/CRLT_no23.pdf .

Van Note Chism, Nancy. “Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement.” Ohio State University. 1998.  http://ftad.osu.edu/portfolio/philosophy/Philosophy.html .

Vick, Julie Miller and Furlong, Jennifer S.. “Writing Samples and Teaching Statements”, The Chronicle of Higher Education Dec. 20, 2010. http://chronicle.com/article/Writing-SamplesTeaching/125726/ .

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Philosophy of teaching statement.

The process of identifying a personal philosophy of teaching and continuously examining, articulating, verifying, and refining this philosophy through teaching can lead to change of teaching behaviors and, ultimately, foster professional and personal growth.

A philosophy of teaching statement is a narrative that includes:

• A personal vision for teaching and learning.
• A description of teaching strategies or approaches implemented.
• Justification for those strategies, focusing on evidence-based practice.

An effective teaching philosophy demonstrates that an instructor is reflective and purposeful about teaching, communicates instructional goals and corresponding actions in the classroom, and points to and weaves together themes, materials, and activities outlined in the other sections of the portfolio.

General Formatting Suggestions

There is no right or wrong way to write a philosophy statement , which is why it is so challenging for most people to write one.

A teaching philosophy is generally 1–2 pages, double-spaced, in length . For some purposes, an extended description is appropriate, but length should be determined by content and context.

Use present tense, in most cases.  Writing in first-person is most common.

Most statements avoid technical terms  and favor language and concepts that can be broadly appreciated. A general rule is that the statement should be written with the audience in mind. It may be helpful to have a disciplinary peer review the statement to provide guidance on any discipline-specific jargon and issues to include or exclude.

Describe in detail teaching strategies and methods. It is not possible in many cases for a reader to observe instruction. By including very specific examples of teaching strategies, assignments, discussions, etc., the reader can visualize the learning context described and the exchanges between instructor and students.

Make the statement memorable and unique.  If the document is submitted as part of a job application, readers on the search committee are reviewing many statements. What sets this one apart? Often that is the extent to which it creates a vivid portrait of a person who is intentional about teaching practices and committed to their career.

“Own” your philosophy.  The use of declarative statements (such as, “students don’t learn through lecture,” or “the only way to teach is to use class discussion”) could be detrimental if reviewed by a search committee. Write about individual experiences and beliefs or focus on research that informs the teaching practice described to appear open to new and different ideas about teaching. Instructors often make choices as to the best teaching methods for different courses and content: sometimes lecture is most appropriate; other times service-learning or active learning are most effective, for example.

The following samples are written by winners of the  Graduate Associate Teaching Award  at Ohio State, and are examples of various formats you may choose to use.

Tim Jensen – Department of English

Philosophy of Teaching Statement Tim Jensen Graduate Teaching Associate Department of English Winner of the 2010 Graduate Associate Teaching Award

As an instructor of rhetoric and composition courses, my aim is to motivate students to begin a personal exploration toward effective, ethical communication. This can only happen if they feel genuinely inspired by the improvement made within the short period of a quarter and confident in their ability to learn more—if they feel, in a word,  empowered . To these ends, I practice and continually refine pedagogical strategies that reveal how power, knowledge, and discourse are inextricably woven together with the arts of persuasion, more formally known as rhetoric. I anchor my pedagogy in three interrelated principles, outlined below around Latin maxims. These dictums are not mere flourishes; were you to take my class, you would hear them repeated regularly. Forming the foundation for specific teaching strategies and the constant evaluation of those methods, these principles never allow me to forget that the best teacher is one who adopts the perspective of a perpetual learner. To lead by example, then, I am always seeking to further my own skills in listening, collaboration, and application of knowledge to everyday practices.

Audi Alteram Partem

Like the development of any other skill, critical thinking requires practice, whereby repetitious acts form patterns that become easier to perform, eventually becoming natural, almost instinctual. I employ the strategy of  audi alteram partem — translated as “ hear the other side” —to cultivate this habit of critical inquiry and analytical thinking. For example, instead of qualifying and modifying a student’s comment in class discussion, I will simply respond with the phrase, often kick-starting a fast and loose version of the dialectical process: one student’s comment (thesis) is followed by a counter-perspective (antithesis), resulting in a new claim (synthesis) for the class to think about. Students soon see the pattern develop and try and beat the game, so to speak, by providing a counter-argument alongside their initial comment (“I know you’re probably gonna say that…”). As a methodology,  audi alteram partem  encourages the exploration of claims and their structures of reasoning and evidence, all in an organic, conversational manner. The positive effects of this strategy are consistently visible in students’ analytical essays, where evidence shows them grappling with arguments from a variety of perspectives. My larger goal, though, is to foster the natural trajectory of this thought pattern so that students go beyond small claims to examine larger cultural mores. One recent student email demonstrates this move: “Did you know that in China some pay their doctors only while they stay healthy?! Holy Audi Alteram Partem! Docs only get rich by  keeping  people from getting sick – we should drop that into health care reform!”

Although it is rewarding to see class conversations quickly gain momentum and capture student interest, my use of  audi alteram partem  is primarily driven by a belief in the pedagogical principle of  critical   listening , by which we develop more quickly intellectually and socially by listening to multiple perspectives and logics. In short, I teach rhetoric—the art of persuasion—by teaching the art of listening. Because I am here to learn, too, I practice critical listening by soliciting informal feedback from students through brief emails that simply “touch-base,” scheduling multiple one-on-one conferences, and keeping an “open-door” policy, where I promise to meet with a student at their convenience, in terms of time and location, to the best of my ability. To be an effective instructor, I must listen attentively to students in order to discover their unique learning styles and the particular motivations guiding their education.

Docendo Discimus

To cultivate a thriving atmosphere for critical listening and intellectual exploration, all of my courses place great emphasis on the pedagogical principle of  docendo discimus —the idea that “ we learn from teaching .” To draw on the diversity of insights and experiences of students, it is my responsibility to create an environment where we can all teach each other. My strategies for doing so have taken several years to develop (and are still evolving), perhaps because they are counter-intuitive at first glance: to animate the self-discovered, self-appropriated learning that can truly influence individual behavior, I emphasize the class as   community ; to generate a respectful, supportive, and enthusiastic atmosphere, I  disperse  authority rather than consolidate it. This means, of course, that participants must leave behind the passive role of “student” and adopt a more active orientation that highlights responsibility and accountability. Enacting this principle is more challenging than retaining the traditional roles of student/teacher, but I have found that the results are always worth it.

For example, I recently asked those in my section of ENG 276 (Introduction to Rhetoric) if they would like to include a peer-evaluation component in their first project, and the majority voted in its favor. From there we radically democratized the entire process: in one class session we surveyed sample assignments using a variety of rubrics, exploring the value of different terminologies and evaluative frameworks. Then, with the help of a detailed online survey I designed, they submitted responses on those elements they found most productive, why so, and how they would like to see the peer evaluation integrated. (This particular group chose to have five individual peer reviews be averaged together in determining 20% of their final grade using a holistic, comment-heavy rubric.)  Docendo discismus  in action, then, looks like this: students actively, voluntarily choose to become teachers, explore options as a community, and democratically determine the language and structure of their own learning process. This is just one example among many energizing, ever-evolving attempts to empower students by encouraging them to perceive themselves as valuable teachers. There are smaller instances, such as calling for volunteers to lead discussion, and more involved cases, like having former students visit a current class to talk about how they succeeded at a particular project— without  me in the room to moderate or influence. Though it may seem paradoxical, I have discovered through trial and error that the best way for students to cultivate a sense of ownership in their education is through the radical sharing of knowledge.

Non Scholae Sed Vitae Discimus

At the core of my pedagogical philosophy is the principle, “ we learn not for school, but for life .” To awaken students to the persuasive forces at work on their attitudes and behaviors is to awaken them to their responsibilities as citizens, friends, family members, and principled human beings. The experience of working with several hundred students, however, has significantly altered my approach to communicating the value and importance of a heightened rhetorical consciousness.

Over the past three and a half years, I have moved away from a top-down method of inculcation, where I repeatedly, explicitly declare the importance of rhetorical education, to a  bottom-up, micro approach . Using this strategy I focus on seemingly banal, everyday occurrences in a casual tone and exploratory atmosphere. For instance, I will often use the first few minutes of class to nonchalantly describe a random encounter which brought to mind a previous class discussion or reading, encouraging others to help me  pull it apart and think through it. It only takes a few class sessions before students seek to supplant my examples with their own, which I encourage. The conversations that follow, which often have that infectious tenor of “class hasn’t  really  started yet,” are as light-hearted as they are incisive. Only after allowing this to continue for several weeks will I begin to explicitly drive home the importance of sensitizing ourselves and others to surrounding rhetorical forces. Consistently evaluating my teaching methods has led me to this approach, which I find favorable for a variety of reasons: it creates a database of examples I can use to ground theoretical principles using familiar contexts; it tacitly encourages students to look to their own lives for examples of rhetoric; and it carves out a space where students have the opportunity to learn within a context framed by their own concrete experiences.

I have discovered that the most effective route for making my courses valuable and practical to everyday experience is my communication with students throughout the composition process. Because of the importance of feedback, I have selected a representative example for the instructional materials section, where I elaborate my approach to positive, practical feedback.

In outlining the pedagogical principles that guide my teaching style and strategies, I aim to show how these maxims constitute a powerful frame for viewing the world. I teach by these principles because of my ardent conviction that they provide a path for bettering oneself and one’s community.

Glené Mynhardt – Department of Biology

Philosophy of Teaching Statement Glené Mynhardt Graduate Teaching Associate Department of Biology Winner of the 2010 Graduate Associate Teaching Award

I spent the first thirteen years of my life in South Africa. Growing up in one of the most beautiful and species diverse countries stimulated a natural desire for me to want to study biology. When my family moved to the States, I remember having to make several cultural adjustments. Many were changes on a personal level, but becoming familiar with new ways of learning was especially challenging. High school was relatively easy for me, but being a college student required much more effort. Despite a strong desire to learn, and a passion for biology, the typical lecture setting at the very populous institutions where I gained most of my educational experiences was not ideal. During my sophomore year in college I sought something outside of coursework to test whether I was really cut out for biology. I began volunteering as an undergraduate research assistant in an insect systematics laboratory, and began sorting through large jars of insects that were stored in ethanol. The amazing diversity of insects found in one jar was so fascinating that I would spend around eight hours sorting through these samples. My time in the lab allowed me to get involved in field work, learn different sampling techniques, and become familiar with how data were processed. I finally got to  experience  the dynamic, fun nature of science! Learning had become so much more, because science wasn’t just an isolated subject in a textbook – it meant using real processes to study real phenomena.

I have established two primary philosophies as a teacher: to get students to think about science as a process, and to individualize their learning experiences, the former of which I learned as a student myself, and the latter of which became evident as an effective teaching strategy.

Progressing through graduate school allowed me to define learning as a personal process of growth. Being able to ask questions and actually attempt to answer those questions was extremely motivating. The same ideas flowed into my classrooms, where I urge my students to think about very basic questions they have, and to begin questioning all those “facts” in the textbook. It was only after I had begun teaching at The Ohio State University that I became acutely aware of my initial failures as an undergraduate student. I realized the interactive, intellectually stimulating classroom environment was lacking in most of the courses I took. I learned about my own potential, but only after I had already experienced years of education! Because of this, I have made an effort to be not only a mentor, but a teacher in learning, by providing my students with opportunities to learn in ways they are most likely to benefit from. Since the first moments as a teacher, I realized how precious the time was with my students, and how I wished to help them find their love for biology, just as I did, by being involved and invested in more hands-on methods of learning. Just like me, most of my students already know that they like biology, but I want them to begin understanding the  process  of scientific thinking rather than learning definitions without context to real data. In order to achieve this, I continually aim to involve students by using a variety of methods in all of the classes I teach.

Involving and motivating students presents its challenges, but my goal of  individualizing  learning creates an open and comfortable classroom environment where students can feel free to ask questions, make mistakes, and challenge themselves. It is by breaking down the barriers to learning that students can face their own misconceptions. My background as a struggling undergraduate has given me a great measure of sensitivity to each student’s learning process. I firmly believe that students enter the classroom with expectations to learn and advance their knowledge, which I assessed in my own classroom one term by asking two of my 30-student honors labs to write down their personal definition of “learning.” I was not surprised to see that all of them carried the same underlying message, that learning is  the process of gaining new knowledge or perspectives that change the way we think about the world . In order to keep students motivated, I have found that it becomes imperative to be a creative teacher, by utilizing various active learning methods like group discussions, peer teaching or presentations, and “muddy points” cards, the latter of which allows students to write down what they think they don’t clearly understand. Students rarely admit that they don’t know anything, so using methods that allow them to bring their misconceptions or misunderstandings to light provides an opportunity for me to determine whether my teaching is effective. Another tool that I find equally effective in the classroom is to establish rapport with my students by making it a point to get to know my students, not just by name, but by asking them to think about their personal goals as potential future scientists. I also ask them to rate biology on a scale from one to ten to gauge the level of enthusiasm and perception students have for science. Based on this information, I am able to get to know my students and approach them in different ways to personalize their learning. This is reflected positively in my evaluations, where students always feel that they can approach me, ask questions, or even challenge their own thinking. In addition, several of my previous students loved my biology courses so much that they now teach as undergraduate teaching assistants, and several have pursued graduate school to further explore their interests.

Getting students involved in learning often means being inventive with one’s teaching methods and has encouraged me to use various active learning techniques in the classroom, and presents another way to individualize my students’ learning experiences. Each class session includes the presentation of a basic concept, a real example of why the topic is relevant, and some challenging questions about how the topic applies to students’ lives. If students are learning about the structure and relative location of arteries and veins, I usually ask them why western societies wear wedding bands on the left ring finger. They are amazed to learn that some societies do so because the aorta branches directly to the left arm, which directly connects the left ring finger to the heart. They are able to make connections between structure and function, and make ties between science and culture. I have found that when students are presented with these linkages between science and “real life” they are able to question their personal beliefs in a scientific context. In other words, students are thinking like scientists and are being engaged on a personal level. In the example of the ring finger they are also able to think about anatomy and function as the underlying process, rather than memorizing the end-products of science. My goal is to have students leave the classroom with an attitude of inquiry, something I think is necessary to be a good scientist and a good citizen. Encouraging students to question what they know results in fruitful and revealing classroom discussions and has allowed me to identify common misconceptions. For example, most students know about the process of electron transport within the energy-providing mitochondria in a cell. I ask students to think about bacteria, which do not have mitochondria. How do bacterial cells achieve this process without mitochondria? By deconstructing larger concepts into smaller pieces, students become really successful in understanding how universal or unique biological “facts” are in different systems. Given my background as a struggling undergraduate, the way I teach has made me a more successful teacher, because I finally understand what it means to learn meaningfully.

The personal journey that I have taken as a teacher has extended beyond the classroom, into areas that I never imagined. I have had humbling opportunities to help other TAs with their teaching, which has been remarkably insightful and informative. My roles as a teaching fellow, orientation facilitator for the University Center for the Advancement of Teaching (UCAT), and as graduate UCAT consultant, have brought teaching to the forefront of my graduate career. The same qualities, which are meaningful to me as a teacher – making the classroom  process-driven  and individualized  – are echoed in my role as a mentor to other teachers. The classroom is a dynamic space, where each teacher can do the things he or she wishes to do. It is the place where another undergraduate student can struggle, fail, and learn how to excel.  It is the place where I started as a student, the place that could have taught me so much more than what I learned. Years after struggling as that student, I am a teacher, a mentor, and a researcher, but only because I found something meaningful that taught me something about biology and science. That is what I aim to create for my students.

James Collier – Department of Communication

Philosophy of Teaching Statement James Collier Graduate Teaching Associate Department of Communication Winner of the 2012 Graduate Associate Teaching Award 

More than anything, I want students to recognize my genuine passion for teaching and interest in them as individuals. I want my classes to be challenging but fair, valuable beyond their time at Ohio State, and fun. I am obligated to provide a high quality experience, and strive to be the teacher I want as a student. To accomplish this, I integrate things I have learned in my own classes, student evaluations and a variety of studies and books I have read about teaching on the university level.

First and foremost, I want to challenge students and push them out of their comfort zone. I tell them the first day: if school is not challenging, their investment of time and money is trivialized, to the detriment of their value to prospective employers. Being demanding yet fair is by far my most difficult task. There are always gifted, self-motivated students who will rise to any challenge I offer. What about those less driven, or less able? It says little of me if I set the bar high and then watch dispassionately as students sink or swim. That is not how I work. I implore them to make a consistent effort, with the promise I will provide support for anyone who demonstrates as much. Many of my students struggle early. I reassure them as a class, and privately: ‘Don’t panic, don’t quit; as we progress through the quarter, this will become more and more normal.’ This reassurance does not work like magic, but eventually it does take hold. My rules are simple: Don’t panic, don’t quit, come talk to me. I always find a way to reward effort. This includes extra credit opportunities, but never ‘free of charge.’ I trade points for knowledge. On my Carmen site, I post an entire section of additional readings of interest. Students know up front that at the end of the quarter, they can do additional reading and take a quiz. I credit any points they earn toward prior quiz grades, allowing them to make amends for earlier disappointments. Ultimately, most students trust me and buy into the system. My grades are relatively high; not because I give students anything. The grades are earned. In addition to challenging, I want my class to be interesting and fun.

My methodology entails heavy reading (approximately 100 pages per class period) and abbreviated lectures (approximately 30 minutes). Research demonstrates that reading improves vocabulary and language use, which improves writing skills – all of which improve public speaking skills. All are premium job skills. I adopted shorter lectures based on student feedback. Students find interaction and discussion more interesting. To ensure that students read with a sense of purpose, every class begins with a brief quiz. We review the answers in class, and as we do, I expand on the content and add detail by referencing other sources. This tends to spur interest and further discussion as we walk through the quiz. In addition, I allow students to ‘negotiate’ with me. In other words, I allow them to ask if what they put is sufficiently accurate. Sometimes I say no, sometimes I give half credit, and sometimes what they write is not at all what I was looking for, but I am so impressed with the level of detail they absorbed, I give them full credit. This is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the class because, while the heavy reading and daily quizzes can seem daunting, students quickly realize that they are empowered to make their case and earn credit. This is my way of acknowledging that creating each quiz is not an exact science, nor are the items I select the definitive aspects of the reading. The give-and-take of these exchanges inevitably leads to laughter, inside jokes related to prior quizzes, and mutual respect between us. The level of enjoyment these ‘negotiations’ generate is most notable at the end of the quarter when I offer the extra credit quizzes in my office. Students arrive sporadically over the course of two hours, take the quiz and leave due to time constraints. Almost all of them say something to the effect of ‘this is not as much fun without the negotiations; I miss that.’ To hear this is priceless because many of these students struggled a bit throughout the quarter, and to hear them lament the fun being over is truly amazing. In addition to being interesting and fun, I want to be organized and responsive. This manifests itself in three ways: 1) daily game plans; 2) e-mail response and personal meetings; and 3) immediate grading.

During the last 5 minutes of each class, I review the up-coming readings. I tell them why we are covering this material and how it connects to prior readings and our larger plan moving forward. I provide a general guideline to what they should focus on, and what they can gloss over. By articulating these connections, I help them organize their thoughts and synthesize the readings. It also alleviates the sensation of being pounded by wave after wave of readings. As mentioned earlier, I know that a certain portion of the class will struggle early on. I allow for time to meet with students after class, am very diligent about responding to e-mails quickly, and devote 4 office hours per week for personal consultations. Students always know that I am there for them. Without question, the organizational aspect that students most appreciate is my quick and detailed grading. Quiz grades are posted by late afternoon. Rather than extensive papers at mid-term and final, students write 5 papers between 600-700 words in length at a time of their choosing – giving them freedom to manage their time. I grade and return these papers with detailed comments the same night they are submitted. To earn their participation points, they post 10 opinion paragraphs between 200-230 words in length on our Carmen discussion forum. I read and post these grades the same night. The final component of the class entails a group presentation where each student presents a media sample related to the current content and poses discussion questions to their classmates. These grades are also posted immediately, along with my comments. All told, students know their grade in real-time, where they stand, and why. This is a show of respect and organization they really appreciate.

Self-improvement  I have done many things to further my development. Last fall, I shadowed one of our full professors for an entire quarter, and wrote a 1500 word essay about my observations for class credit. I wanted to pursue the teaching specialization minor but realized I could not fit the class requirements into my other class and teaching schedule, as well as pursue all my research projects. Nonetheless I learned a lot by watching a seasoned veteran for ten weeks. Last October, I conducted a two hour workshop for new graduate students who were scheduled to begin teaching later in the year. This was mutually beneficial because the preparation and subsequent discussion forced me to reflect on my own teaching, triggering new ideas. Upon request, I have served as a guest lecturer in six undergraduate Comm classes. I was also invited to give a two hour lecture on the political history of the Middle East and Central Asia for graduating Air Force ROTC cadets. This opportunity came because a former student recommended me to his superiors. I am currently writing and producing a series of television shows with a group of students majoring in television production. I work directly with their advisors to ensure the project warrants class credit. I am also helping a former student on his undergraduate thesis project. He has enlisted my help in acquiring sources, and also for editing the paper. I also make an effort to read books and studies that examine teaching on the university level. These include Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses, by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa; one study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and one by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. All told, my passion for teaching leads to opportunities to teach more, which enhances my skills and creates further opportunities. I am never ‘good enough’ and am always seeking opportunities to hone my skills and contribute to others, including fellow graduate students.

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Taking Teaching Philosophies Seriously: Pedagogical Identity, Philosophy of Education, and New Opportunities for Publication

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• Michael P. A. Murphy 7  

Part of the book series: Political Pedagogies ((PP))

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Statements of reflection on teaching and learning are sometimes called  teaching philosophies , often featuring as a requirement for jobs, promotions, awards, and other applications. In this chapter, I would like to explore the possibilities of taking teaching philosophies seriously and argue that engagement with philosophy of education can provide multiple simultaneous benefits to the busy professor. First, a sophisticated teaching philosophy offers a clear statement of pedagogical purpose. Second, engagement with philosophy of education also opens research opportunities, as systematic reflections on the application of principles in the classroom context can speak to ongoing scholarly debates both in philosophy of education as well as the scholarship of teaching and learning. And finally, serious reflection on teaching philosophies can help with one’s pedagogical identity-formation from the outset of a scholarly career. I draw on educational development literature indicating that reflecting on teaching early in one’s career can help support pedagogical formation (Bullard and McLean in Journal of Geography in Higher Education 24:37–52, 2000; McLean and Bullard in Teacher Development 4:79–101, 2000). Ultimately, I argue that familiarization with key concepts in the philosophy of education can facilitate the incorporation of scholarship of teaching and learning within courses through intentional design.

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Murphy, M.P.A. (2023). Taking Teaching Philosophies Seriously: Pedagogical Identity, Philosophy of Education, and New Opportunities for Publication. In: Butcher, C., Bhasin, T., Gordon, E., Hallward, M.C. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Teaching and Research in Political Science. Political Pedagogies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42887-6_2

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• Teaching Resources: Commonly Asked Questions about Teaching Practices and Educational Technology

Writing a Philosophy of Teaching

A Philosophy of Teaching Statement is a simple document that represents a complex set of beliefs about teaching. The statement should reflect who you are as a teacher and how your personal ideas and values impact the way you teach. It is usually 1-2 pages in length (sometimes up to 4), written in first person, and contains both abstract beliefs and concrete examples. A well-developed teaching statement allows you to continually self-assess and reflect on your teaching practice throughout your career. As your philosophy of teaching evolves over time, so might your philosophy of teaching statement.

Within your teaching statement you will reflect on some essential questions about what it means for you to teach in higher education.

Here are some potential questions to get you started thinking and writing about your teaching:

• Why do I teach? What are my ultimate goals for students?
• What role do I expect students to play?
• How does my identity/background influence my teaching?
• When I am teaching, when am I most effective? How do I know this?
• How do I truly know when and what my students are learning?
• What parts of teaching most inspire me?
• How have my beliefs about teaching changed over time?
• Describe your most challenging teaching moment. What did you learn about yourself, and about teaching, from this experience?
• Create a metaphor to explain teaching and learning.

Instruments to help you reflect upon teaching philosophy

Sometimes it can be difficult to articulate in words your beliefs and goals for teaching. The instruments listed below can help you self-assess your teaching goals and find some language to describe your practice.

• The Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI)
• The Teaching Goals Inventory
• A group of DU faculty members collaborated across disciplines to create some language around, What kind of teaching do we aspire to at DU? You might find this list of statements useful when articulating your own teaching goals.

Sample teaching philosophy statements

• Example statements of teaching philosophy  (University of Michigan)
• Sample Teaching Philosophy Statements from DU faculty members are available upon request, email [email protected] .

Resources for writing a teaching philosophy

• Guided steps towards writing a teaching statement  (Iowa State)
• Four steps to a memorable teaching philosophy (James Lang/Chronicle)

A Rubric for assessing the quality of a teaching philosophy

• Teaching Philosophy Rubric  (University of Michigan)

Teaching Portfolio Resources

• Creating a Teaching Portfolio  (Iowa State)
• Creating a Teaching Portfolio  (University of Virginia)

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Teaching Philosophies in Education

A teaching philosophy is a teacher’s set of beliefs about their role and the goals of education. It’s like a teacher’s personal rule book for how to do their job. It influences how they teach, make important choices, and work with everyone at the school. A teaching philosophy isn’t just a fancy thought—it helps teachers do their best in the classroom.

If we take a step back, think of the term teaching philosophy like this: Imagine you’re on a big journey. Before you start, you need to know why you’re going, what you want to discover, and how you’ll go about it. That’s what a teaching philosophy does for teachers. It’s like their compass and roadmap, explaining why they’re teaching, what they hope their students will learn, and how they’re going to teach it.

How to Guide: Teachers create their teaching philosophy by thinking about their own school days, what they want students to achieve, the responsibilities they have, and by looking at what other smart people have said about education. They might write all this down in a statement that acts like a reminder to keep their teaching on track with their beliefs and goals.

There are several different types of teaching philosophies that teachers might follow:

• Progressivism : Teachers who follow this philosophy believe education should help grow every part of a student, not just their brain. They use hands-on activities and make lessons feel connected to the real world.
• Essentialism: Here, the teacher is like the boss of the classroom and focuses on teaching students a must-know set of knowledge , often sticking to traditional subjects.
• Perennialism: It’s a bit like essentialism, but it puts more weight on big ideas and thinking skills rather than just knowing facts. These teachers want students to think deeply about important, timeless questions.
• Reconstructionism: Teachers with this philosophy use the classroom to help make the world better. They push students to think critically and question how society works, aiming to improve it.
• Existentialism : This philosophy is all about the student. What they need, want, and are interested in comes first, instead of just following a fixed academic program.

Examples of Teaching Philosophies In Education

Now let’s look at some examples and why they fit their philosophy:

• A progressivist teacher might have students design a garden that also helps the local wildlife. This shows progressivism because it’s hands-on and connects learning to real-life issues.
• An essentialist teacher might spend several lessons on classic literature to make sure students understand these important texts. This is essentialism because they’re focusing on core knowledge.
• A perennialist teacher might host debates on whether heroes from old stories acted rightly. This is perennialism because students have to use their thinking skills on timeless questions.
• A reconstructivist teacher might help students set up a program to tackle bullying in their school. This shows reconstructionism because it’s about making a positive change in society.
• An existentialist teacher might let students enjoy a “free reading” period where they can pick any book they like. This is existentialism since it honors students’ personal choices.

Why Is It Important?

A clear teaching philosophy is the backbone that supports many things a teacher does:

It makes sure teachers keep to their personal teaching style and create a place where learning is fun and effective. It guides choices around how to teach, check students’ understanding, and how to talk and listen to students. It lets teachers explain their teaching ways to parents, bosses, and other teachers.

Also, when a teacher knows their teaching philosophy well, it can guide them in growing as a teacher by pointing out which skills they want to get better at. Plus, it adds to their sense of who they are as a teacher and what makes their job rewarding.

Imagine if you’re trying to get better at a sport or a hobby. Knowing why you love it and what your goals are makes it easier to improve and keeps it enjoyable. That’s what a teaching philosophy does for teachers.

The idea of teaching philosophies has been shaped over time by some very thoughtful people and changes in how we teach. For example, John Locke thought education could shape a person, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau said we should focus on how kids naturally grow and learn. Their thinking is a big part of today’s teaching philosophies.

More modern people like John Dewey added new ideas too. Dewey said that learning should matter to students’ everyday lives and that schools should be about more than just book-learning.

Controversies

There are disagreements when it comes to teaching philosophies. Some people argue over whether a traditional style of teaching is better or if we should try newer, more open ways. They can’t agree on how much power teachers should have, what knowledge is essential, and if a student’s interests should be part of learning.

Another debate is whether teachers should talk about societal issues in class. Some believe that schools should just focus on academics, while others think preparing students to tackle big world problems is also a teacher’s job.

Lastly, people don’t see eye-to-eye on the best way to check if teaching is effective and students are learning. There’s a lot of debate about standardized tests and whether they are a fair way to measure education.

Related Topics

Teaching philosophies connect to some other big ideas in education like:

• Differentiated Instruction: This is about teachers changing how they teach so that each student can learn in the way that’s best for them. It’s related to teaching philosophies because how a teacher views learning will shape how they use differentiated instruction.
• Classroom Management: This involves how teachers keep their classroom running smoothly. Their teaching philosophy can affect how strict they are or how they deal with challenges in class.
• Educational Psychology: This is the study of how people learn. A teacher’s philosophy will be influenced by what they believe about learning and thinking, which is part of educational psychology.

To wrap it up, a teaching philosophy is a big deal in education. It’s about a teacher’s beliefs on why they teach, the best way to help students learn, and what they think is most important in their job. Knowing one’s teaching philosophy helps teach with purpose and benefits students in their learning journey.

While every teacher’s philosophy is a personal thing, learning about the different types can help new teachers start off well or experienced teachers try new things. As the world changes, so do teaching philosophies, and with that, the way we think about teaching and learning evolves too.

Ruth V. Aguilera

Teaching philosophy.

Teaching Philosophy  (Illinois 2012)

I teach courses on comparative management, international business, global strategy, and comparative employment relations to undergraduate, graduate students (MBAs and Master in Human Resource Management), and executive education. My teaching philosophy is based on active learning, which involves asking students to solve problems, formulate and answer questions, and debate during class, and is complemented by cooperative learning, where students work in teams on projects under conditions that generate both positive interdependence and individual accountability. In addition, I strongly believe that establishing rapport with students and creating an atmosphere conducive to learning is as important as having command over the subject matter. I teach courses on comparative management, international business, global strategy, and comparative employment relations to undergraduate and graduate students. My emphasis is the international dimension.

Learning about international issues cannot be accomplished by merely memorizing the facts found in course readings. The teacher must spark the students’ curiosity about how management practices and business organizations function around the globe. To this end, I try to equip students with a set of conceptual tools to navigate through the often contradictory and ambiguous mass of information about how international competition takes place, to instigate an appreciation of the differences between multi-domestic and global industries, to provide a set of criteria for evaluating exactly which global strategy will help enhance the firm’s long-term profitability and value, and to show a clear understanding of how to measure and interpret the effects of economic, cultural, financial, political, and social factors on international management decisions. My ultimate goal in my teaching is to train competent future managers and responsible citizens in an increasingly interdependent and global world.

Pedagogical Implementation My pedagogical style, like my approach to research, draws on the comparative method complemented with multiple other techniques depending on the subject. For example, if the topic at hand is employment systems around the world, we start by discussing what students know the most, the employment system in the U.S. Then, we build from this knowledge and analyze the similarities and differences with the employment system in Canada, and week by week we move across different countries all the way to employment systems in China.

A key challenge for a teacher is to transmit the knowledge to students in an efficient and stimulating manner. I rely on a variety of pedagogical techniques to achieve this goal. First, I combine short lectures on different topics (e.g., the challenges in cross-border merger and acquisitions) with case studies that allow students to apply the tools required for that topic to a particular real-life case (e.g., the cross-border merger of Daimler-Benz and Chrysler). This is supplemented with hands-on discovery, in that students are responsible for (1) active class participation, (2) global team work, and (3) class presentations.

First, I seek active student discovery by asking all students to write short reaction papers to the assigned readings. This allows me to incorporate their thoughts into my class. In addition, students are encouraged to participate in an on-line forum that relates the course content to current business events, and live in-class discussion with relevant information. Second, due to the nature of the classes that I teach, I tend to have a fairly diverse international student body or at least functional (disciplinary) diversity. Hence, at the beginning of the semester, I assign students into global teams and/or multi-functional teams to work on an assigned course project. This gives students an opportunity to interact with individuals with different cultural/functional backgrounds and experience the challenges and advantages of these complex teams. Our reflections on how to make multi-cultural and/or multi-functional teams more effective is incorporated into the course content. Finally, students are asked to put together a short presentation on an international business or managerial issue that is not formally covered in class. Some of the presentations have involved research parks in China, corporate governance issues in India, and the challenges of expatriate mangers.

Since international issues can be hard to grasp in the abstract, I actively incorporate state-of-the-art pedagogical tools and technology resources in my teaching such as simulations of cross-cultural negotiations, use of technology, and multi-media exercises. For example, in graduate courses such as global strategy, students are given an interactive multi-media CD on a Spanish winery whose sales have done very well in Spain, Germany, and the United States, and poorly in Australia. Students are asked to work in their global teams to analyze and come up with a technical report that discusses what went wrong in Australia and suggests other potential markets as well as the different entry modes. This is an example of “learning-by-doing” that is undertaken towards the end of the semester. Another example is that I encourage students to participate in business case competitions that complement the class.

Measurement and Evaluation of Student Learning My assessment of student learning is two-fold: individual and group-level. In the case of undergraduate teaching, I put more emphasis on individual work, as these students are developing basic skills and acquiring new knowledge. In most of my undergraduate courses, students are asked to write two essays, several individual reaction papers, and two in-class exams, which count about 60 percent of the grade. The group work involves a group presentation and a group project, which counts about 40 percent of the grade. For graduate students, I draw more heavily on group work as it is my expectation that students need to learn how to work in teams. I also put more weight on class participation. I believe that a key element of learning, as well as measurement of learning, is to be able to assess whether students are making progress throughout the semester. Therefore, I provide multiple opportunities to give feedback to students by responding to their reaction papers, grading their essays, and giving detailed comments on their presentations. Finally, all of my courses include an in-class committee of two or three elected students that meets with me two or three times during the semester. The purpose of the course committee is to provide the class a formal means of communication with me about the course and the teaching.

Doctoral Student Supervising and Advising I play a significant role in advising doctoral students interested in international business issues. I have been fortunate to work closely with doctoral students, serving as a dissertation committee member for 14 students (three of them have already graduated) from Business Administration, the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations, and the Sociology and Psychology departments. In addition, most years I am responsible for a first- or second-year doctoral student as his/her academic advisor. Because I believe that the best way to learn how to write and do research is “learning-by-doing,” whenever possible, I try to give the opportunity to students to collaborate in research projects with me. This arrangement has worked out quite well most of the time, and, as a result, I have working papers or published papers with seven doctoral students from the University of Illinois. The successful completion of these collaborative projects helps these students learn how to perform high-quality research in a very effective manner.

Professional Development for Teaching Excellence When I joined the faculty of the University of Illinois, I had never taught a course. So, I took it as a personal challenge to become as good as a teacher as I could be. I did several things to accomplish this goal. First, I sought guidance from the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Illinois in developing my syllabi for different course levels as well as my teaching techniques. I worked very closely with several staff members form the Center who provided extensive feedback. Second, also during my first semester, I wrote and was awarded a CIBER Teaching Development Grant to develop and gather course materials for teaching international business and management. With this grant, I was able to purchase a variety of multi-media cases and videos as well as to attend a workshop at Duke’s Fuqua School on “Strategies for Teaching International Negotiations.” Finally, I continue to participate in the Provost’s Initiative for Teaching Advancement (PITA) that the College of Business offers to its faculty as well as discuss with my colleagues new cases and teaching techniques that I am always eager to incorporate in my class. This keeps my teaching alive and exciting for me, and, hence, I hope some of my excitement inspires my students.

To conclude, student evaluations provide some evidence of teaching effectiveness. I have been included in the University of Illinois “Incomplete List of Teachers Rated as Excellent” almost every semester since I started teaching. Additional proof of my teaching effectiveness is that my elective courses such as LIR554: Comparative Employment Relation Systems or BA 384: International Management tend to be over-subscribed.

• Higher Ed Trends

9 Pedagogical Approaches for Higher Ed Explained [Plus: 40+ Free Strategies to Implement in Your Classroom]

Pedagogy is the foundation for all teaching and learning. Here, we highlight nine core pedagogies and tips on how to include them in your classroom.

Christine Persaud

This article will provide you with an understanding of what ‘pedagogy’ is, why it’s important for every classroom and how pedagogy has been evolving to take 21st-century skills and learning into account.

You’ll learn about the different aspects of pedagogy, as well as some common pedagogical knowledge and approaches. Examples for each will provide greater insight into how you can apply different pedagogical teaching styles to your own classroom.

With tips on creating your own pedagogy, including taking into account how digital technology and online and collaborative work are changing teaching, you’ll understand why and how having a clear and concise pedagogy can support your curriculum. 

There are countless pedagogies that can work for your course. Download our free guide , which highlights and explains 9 different pedagogical approaches and how they can be used to keep your students motivated and engaged.

Table of Contents

1.0. What is pedagogy?

1.1. Why is pedagogy important?

1.2. how do you say ‘pedagogy’.

2.0. Different types of pedagogy

2.1. What is constructivist pedagogy?

2.2. what is inquiry-based learning.

2.3. What is the Socratic method?

2.4. What is problem-based learning

2.5. What is collaborative learning?

2.6. What is integrative pedagogy?

2.7. What is reflective pedagogy?

2.8. What is critical pedagogy?

2.9. What is culturally responsive teaching?

3.0. Creating your own pedagogy

3.1. How can pedagogy support your curriculum?

3.2. how does pedagogy impact the learner.

4.0. How is pedagogy changing?

4.1. Online learning

4.2. personalizing pedagogies.

5.0. Conclusion

1. What is pedagogy?

Pedagogy is often confused with curriculum. The definition of pedagogy refers to how we teach—the theory and practice of educating. Curriculum refers to the material being taught. Pedagogy, meaning the relationship between learning techniques and culture, is determined based on an educator’s beliefs about how learning takes place. Pedagogy requires meaningful classroom interactions between educators and learners. The goal is to help students build on prior learning and develop skills and attitudes. For educators, the aim is to present the curriculum in a way that is relevant to student needs.

Shaped by the educator’s own experiences, pedagogy must take into consideration the context in which learning takes place, and with whom. It isn’t about the materials used, but the process and the strategy adopted to lead to the achievement of meaningful cognitive learning.

In a literal sense, the word pedagogy stems from the Greek word that effectively means “the art of teaching children.” More specifically, agogos means leader in Greek, and pedagogue refers to the teacher. Paidagogos were slaves tasked with taking boys to school and back, teaching them manners and tutoring them.

Pedagogy vs. Andragogy

Pedagogy is the teaching of children or dependent personalities. This means that it is up to the instructor to determine how, what and when course concepts are learned. Andragogy is the facilitation of learning for adults, who are self-directed learners. Adults are primarily driven by intrinsic motivation and can solve complex problems relying on past experiences. This must be taken into account in order to best support them in retaining new ideas, learning new ways of problem-solving, and strengthening independent thinking.

Having a well-thought-out pedagogy can improve the quality of your teaching and the way students learn, helping them gain a deeper grasp of fundamental material. Being mindful of the way you teach can help you better understand how to help students achieve deeper learning. And it can, in turn, impact student perception, resulting in cooperative learning environments. The proper approach helps students move beyond simple forms of thinking as defined in the Bloom’s taxonomy pyramid, like basic memorization and comprehension, to complex learning processes like analysis, evaluation, and creation. Students can leverage their preferred learning styles with a teaching process that supports them, and the way they like to learn.

Pedagogy is pronounced differently in various countries. The International Phonetic Alphabet pronunciation is ˈpɛdəˌɡoʊdʒi/ /ˈpɛdəˌɡɑdʒi/. In both the U.K. and U.S., it’s often pronounced “ped-a-gaug-gee” (as in “geese”) though some use the “j” sound and pronounce it “paidag-o-jee” (as in the seventh letter of the alphabet, “g”.)

Others, particularly in the U.K., say “pe-de-gaw-jee,” with more of an “ugh” sound in the middle, and replace the “go” sound with “gaw.” The Merriam-Webster dictionary suggests it should be “pe-de-go-je” (or ga).

2. Pedagogical strategies

There are countless pedagogies that can help you engage students. By implementing activities from different pedagogical techniques in your classroom, you’ll ensure students can tackle learning in a way that best meets their needs. Here, we outline nine pedagogical approaches that help students develop higher-order thinking skills and provide a more nuanced understanding of how their learnings fit into the world around them.

Constructivist teaching strategies help students understand the meaning of their learning materials, instead of just passively ingesting content. Rather than focusing on the subject or lesson being taught, educators are encouraged to focus on how the student learns. 

An example of a constructivist pedagogical practice:

KWL(H) Charts are a great way to get an overview of student progress throughout the term. After finishing a unit or series of lessons, have learners fill out a chart with the following fields: What we know, What we want to know, What we have learned, How we know it.

Inquiry-based learning encourages students to ask questions and complete research while learning various concepts. The pedagogy focuses on helping learners acquire the skills necessary to develop their own ideas, as well as question themselves and group members in a constructive way. The four steps of inquiry-based learning are:

• Developing problem statements that require students to pitch their question using a constructed response, further inquiry and citation.
• Researching the topic using time in class where the instructor can guide students in their learnings
• Presenting what they’ve learned to their peers or to a small group
• Asking students to reflect on what worked about the process and what didn’t. Students focus on how they learned in addition to what they learned, to activate metacognition skills (or thinking about thinking).

An example of inquiry-based learning: One way to incorporate inquiry-based learning in your classroom is through oral history projects. Ask students to research the personal histories of an individual of their choice, conduct interviews with the person (if possible) and create a presentation that includes artifacts, a feature article, a personal memoir and a photograph.

2.3. What is the Socratic method ?

The Socratic method is a traditional pedagogy named after Greek philosopher Socrates, who taught students by asking a series of questions. The principle underlying the Socratic method is that students learn through the use of critical thinking, reason and logic. 

An example of Socratic learning:

To implement Socratic learning strategies in your classroom, arrange students in inner and outer circles. The inner circle engages in discussion, while the outer circle observes and takes notes. The outer circle then shares their observations and questions the inner circle with guidance from the instructor.  The Socratic Method is one of many tools that professors at the University of Chicago Law School use to help theirstudents become lawyers. Elizabeth Garrett writes that “The Socratic Method provides all students greater confidence about talking to large groups, allows them to develop the ability to argue forcefully and persuasively, and teaches them to think critically. “

2.4. What is problem-based learning ?

In problem-based learning , students acquire knowledge by devising a solution to a real-world problem. As they do, they acquire knowledge, as well as communication and collaboration skills.

An example of problem-based learning pedagogical practice:

Concept mapping is an engaging activity that helps students tackle complex course concepts. Divide the class into teams and present them with a course-related problem. One team member writes down a solution and passes the sheets of paper along to the next team member, who builds upon that idea and then passes it along to the rest of the team. In the end, a spokesperson can present their ultimate solution. In a study monitoring the learning of students in an Engineering course, the research found that participants’ learning gains from problem-based learning were two times their gains from a traditional lecture.

2.5 What is collaborative pedagogy ?

Collaborative pedagogy rejects the notion that students can think, learn and write effectively in isolation. Collaborative pedagogy is a learner-centered strategy that strives to maximize critical thinking, learning and writing skills through peer-to-peer interaction and interpersonal engagement.

An example of collaborative pedagogical practice:

Set up stations or posters in a few locations around the classroom and get students to participate in a gallery walk. Divide students into small groups and have them rotate between each station together sorting their observations into categories. Finally, ask them to write down a list of questions about the source material they are viewing.

2.6. What is integrative pedagogy ?

Integrative learning is the process of making connections between concepts and experiences so that information and skills can be applied to novel and complex issues or challenges.

An example of integrative pedagogical practice:

Hands-on learning experiences, like community service, are a great way to bring integrative pedagogy into the classroom. Holding fundraisers, volunteering at local schools or eldercare homes or preparing meals for those experiencing food insecurity are forms of experiential learning that can help students take part in community service activities, like volunteering at food kitchens, tutoring children in local schools, or working in local prisons and detention centers to help with literacy skills, like Queen’s Students for Literacy .

2.7. What is reflective pedagogy ?

Reflective pedagogy encourages the instructor to reflect upon lessons, projects and assessments, with the goal of improving them for future use. Students are also encouraged to reflect on their performance on assessments and look for areas where they can improve.

An example of reflective pedagogy:

Conversation stations are a great way for students to engage with their peers and reflect on their own learnings. Instructors start by sharing a list of discussion questions pertaining to a course reading, video or case study. Students are put into groups and given five-to-ten minutes to discuss, before rotating to another group. The students who have just joined a group have an opportunity to share findings from their last discussion, before answering the second question with their new group. Similarly, reflective pedagogy is useful when used as a complement to placement-based internships. These pedagogical strategies allow students to understand what they have learned and experienced on a deeper level.

Critical pedagogy asserts that issues of social justice and democracy are not distinct from acts of teaching and learning. It is a theory and practice that helps students question and challenge prevalent beliefs and practices—and achieve critical consciousness.

An example of critical pedagogy:

Flipped classroom strategies aim to increase student engagement and learning by having students complete readings at home and then work on live problem-solving during class time. These strategies allow instructors to orient their teaching to be knowledge-based, focusing on the development of critical thinking skills and understanding what it means to create a just society.

2.9. What is culturally responsive teaching ?

Culturally responsive teaching is a more modern pedagogy that acknowledges, responds to and celebrates fundamental cultures. It strives to offer equitable access to education for students from all cultures.

An example of culturally responsive teaching:

Use learning stations in your classroom to accommodate a variety of student learning styles at the same time. Whether due to culture, socialization, preference or learning needs, students respond differently to a variety of content. You can provide a range of material to each student by setting up learning stations where students can play a game or watch a video.

3. Creating your own pedagogy

To create your own pedagogy, start by forming a personal philosophy of teaching statement. This is a crucial step in the profession of teaching. This helps students manage their expectations about your teaching methods and better approach your curriculum. Critically, make sure to support students in finding the best ways to understand the subject matter and encourage engaging discussions in the classroom.

It’s also important to be mindful of the different educational experiences students have and their preferred methods of participation, as well as their personal experiences and backgrounds. That might include monitoring for cues like wait time between talking in a conversation, eye contact or using written forms of communication, like discussion threads. You can use real-world experiences to demonstrate abstract concepts, and link them back to everyday experiences to which students can relate. Followed by activities that are purpose-built to involve students, this helps learners break down course concepts in their own ways.

Pedagogy can allow students to gain a deeper understanding of subject matter and can help them apply their learnings to their own personal experiences outside the classroom. Teachers can work together with students to come up with the best way for subject matter to be studied.

Once you’ve created your own pedagogy in higher education, you can then develop course material and activities that are challenging for students. This will assist them in cognitive development, ensuring that they advance their understanding of concepts to higher levels.

With a clear understanding of your pedagogy, students can follow your instruction and feedback clearly. They know what they need to do and how to do it, and can respond in kind. This encourages engaging dialogue between educators and students, as well as among students themselves—that’s because everyone shares ideas, questions, and knowledge to explore concepts and deepen their knowledge.

With a clear and concise understanding of pedagogy, everyone is on the same page. Students can comfortably share ideas and understand how curriculum will be approached and what’s expected of them. 

Students expand their knowledge base, but also understand how to use their learnings in authentic and relevant real-world contexts. They can draw on their own cultural knowledge as well to come up with unique and personalized thoughts and opinions. Concrete evidence, facts and data, are combined with the exploration of cultural differences of others to further expand knowledge. This allows students to reflect on new concepts and open their minds to different approaches.

Through your pedagogical strategies, students can also learn what approaches work best for them: Which learning activities and learning styles they tend to gravitate towards—and how to develop concepts and build mental models to further their learning—are all important elements to consider. Overall, active learning makes student engagement rise. Students get to participate in personalized teaching strategies, rather than be mere spectators in the classroom.

4. How is pedagogy changing?

Pedagogy has been evolving to better support 21st-century skills and ideas. The traditional classroom lecture is no longer as effective as it once was. Teaching has expanded to include new forms of learning, like interactive and collaborative projects and online and remote curricula, and to accommodate more flexible schedules.

Real-world scenarios and cultural differences are being taken into account, affording students new ways to acquire, construct and organize their learning. Pedagogy is shifting focus beyond basic memorization and application of simple procedures to aiding students in higher-order learning, including critical thinking skills, effective communication, and greater autonomy.

Online learning has become a significant part of higher education. Any modern pedagogy must account for students finding, analyzing and applying knowledge from a growing number of online tools, platforms and sources. Higher-order skills, like critical thinking and the ability to learn more independently, as well as in larger groups, are essential for engaging in online learning in a meaningful way.

Students must be comfortable using technology to help them learn, and to access, share, and create useful information and gain better fluency in a subject. Educators, in turn, can use technology to enhance course materials and further support their pedagogies through blended learning that combines classrooms with online teaching, flipped classrooms that provide materials students can access after class, like videos, lecture notes, quizzes, and further readings, and overall wider access to sources and experts online.

They can integrate new forms of technology to teach, like videos, animations, and simulations through sources like YouTube channels, podcasts and clickers . Digital textbooks can incorporate content like video and audio clips, animations, and rich graphics that students can access and annotate. All of this content enhances the experience for students, and particularly benefits students who are struggling. It can also reduce spending since students have plenty of valuable, real-time updated information at their fingertips for free.

It’s critical that what you’re teaching students is relevant and meaningful, and personalized to their experiences . The increase in non-formal, self-directed learning methods means that students have more access to information than ever before. It makes it easier for educators to track their learning through digital activities. But it also requires more attention in guiding them to the right sources, adjusting lecture content and adopting approaches purpose-built for engagement and collaboration.

In many innovative pedagogies, there’s a power shared between educator and student. Students learn more independently, instead of following a set course of lectures and textbooks from an instructor. In many cases, students thrive in self-directed learning methods, while educators can use lecture time more effectively for discussion and collaborative work.

The educator, then, becomes a critical guide and assessor for students, linking them to accepted sources of information and emphasizing the importance of accreditation. They are no longer the only source of information, delivered in chunks via lectures. And this requires an overhaul of the strategy towards how student learning is achieved, monitored and assessed.

5. Conclusion

Pedagogies are constantly evolving. You can develop your own, inspired by common ones and modified for 21st-century learning. A pedagogy must fit your audience, and focus on helping students develop an understanding of the material beyond basic memorization and surface knowledge. Students should be able to relate concepts back to the real world, and even their own lives.

Every pedagogy is different. A good starting point is to create a philosophy of teaching statement that outlines your communication goals as an instructor, and how you plan to relate the work you do in the classroom to professional development once the student moves on to a career. Then, design classroom experiences around this philosophy, work with students to adapt methods to encourage positive responses and determine how you will evaluate and assess their performance. It’s also worth considering how you will integrate technology into lesson plans and classwork, as well as promote inclusivity.

Taking all of this into consideration makes for a great recipe for a successful pedagogical approach. The more aware you are of the way you are teaching, the better you’ll understand what works best for your students.

Download the free guide: 9 Pedagogical Approaches—and How to Use Them in Your Course

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Philosophy and Theory in Higher Education

PaTHES is associated with the  Philosophy and Theory in Higher Education  journal (PTHE). PTHE is an international refereed scholarly journal committed to advancing understanding of the role(s) and purpose(s) of higher education. The journal strives to be inclusive in scope, addressing topics and issues of significance to a wide range of scholars and practitioners concerned with the relationship between higher education and society.

Rigorous submissions informed by diverse philosophical and theoretical orientations, including, but not limited to, critical theory, existentialism, feminism, queer theory, post-colonialism, Marxism, liberalism, poststructuralism, postmodernism, and post-humanism will be welcomed. The journal aims to stimulate critical analyses of policy and practice in higher education, with an emphasis on inter-disciplinarity and international perspectives.

The content will be primarily philosophical and theoretically-based research papers. Analytical papers that reflect on empirical projects will also be featured in the journal. Short responses to previous articles as well as essay reviews of new works in the field will be considered to promote ongoing critical dialogue within the journal. Proposals for special issues, with thematically linked papers, are encouraged.

PTHE is published by Peter Lang, three times a year (spring, summer, and fall) and is open access. 

The Executive Editor is Professor John E. Petrovic , The University of Alabama.

John invites you all to send him an email (petrovic at ua.edu ) to explore any idea you may have, either for a paper of your own or for an initiative for the Journal.

Members of PaTHES may receive a hard copy of the journal, by request, as part of their fully paid dues. 

Call for review

PTHE is interested in publishing essay reviews of new books in the field as well as responses to previously published articles in the journal. Please contact the Executive Editor directly if you have an interest in doing a review or response.

Special Issues

Coloniality and Whiteness in the Academy: Towards Decolonial Futures , guest edited by Thushari Welikala, St George’s, University of London, UK and Carola Boehm, Staffordshire University, UK

This special issue aims to contribute to the knowledge and understanding about the complexities, paradoxes, tensions, and possibilities of designing decolonial futures in higher education. Focusing on a timely and under-theorised area in higher education, it invites contributors and readers to critically engage with their own pedagogic practices and habits as well as the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that shape their thinking to explore the possibilities of disrupting whiteness and coloniality in higher education.

See here for the full call , and submit proposals directly to the Guest Editor:  [email protected]  . Please reference “coloniality special issue” in the subject line of your email.

Answering the Question: What is Studying?, guest edited by Hans Schildermans (forthcoming November, 2021)

This special issue continues the journal’s collaboration with PaTHES and came out of the conference held in Leuven in September 2019 . The aim of this special issue is to raise the question of what is studying. More than looking for a motto (like ‘Sapere aude!’), the objective was to gather a variety of evocative statements on the matter and to further conceptualize it. The concept of studying has gained renewed importance in philosophical and theoretical discourses about higher education and the university as well as arts and activism in recent years. Not only does it allow for opening new perspectives on the traditional tasks of the university (research-teaching-service), it also sheds new light on the relation between university and society, and the future of the university. The concept affords perception of the studious aspects of university research and teaching, uncovers those aspects of higher education that are hard to grasp drawing on the discourse of learning, and invites thinking about other ways of involving the public in the university. The special issue seeks to gauge the richness of the concept for educational thinking, probe its potential as a research lens, and experiment with its potential for enacting alternative higher education futures.

Imagining the Future University , guest edited by Søren S. E. Bengtsen and Ronald Barnett

The special issue arose originally from the first annual PaTHES conference ‘The Purpose of the Future University’, at Aarhus University in the autumn 2017, so the issue has been a little time underway. We appreciate the great efforts, patience and support from all the contributors of the special issue, and the continued work and efforts from executive editor John Petrovic, who has ensured that we now see the result of our work as a team!

Student Being and Becoming , guest edited by Amanda J. Fulford

This special issue came about following the annual conference of the PaTHES on the same theme that was held at Middlesex University, London, in 2018. Citing Amanda J. Fulford in the introduction: “[T]he notion of “becoming” is most often understood merely in terms of a transition into higher education, and so with the most practical of issues. What this focus of attention misses, however, is first, the ontological at the heart of what it means to be and become a student, and second, the perfectionist nature of being a student that is redolent of an ongoing process of being and becoming.”

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