Teaching Philosophy Statements

Abstract

Teaching philosophy statements articulate educators’ beliefs about what makes learning happen. They can be powerful tools in identifying assumptions about teaching, articulating our values as educators, and connecting to a community within and across disciplines. Teaching philosophy statements are often an integral part of job applications, promotion and tenure processes, teaching development, and teaching awards. By developing a philosophy and discussing it with colleagues, educators can improve their practice through the process of reflection, dialogue, and engagement with scholarship of learning and teaching. The recipients of the 2020 JME Lasting Impact Award are companion articles “Philosophy rediscovered: Exploring the connections between teaching philosophies, educational philosophies, and philosophy” and “Finding our roots: An exercise for creating a personal teaching philosophy statement” by Beatty et al. These articles have had a profound and sustained impact on management education and other disciplines by furthering understandings of teaching philosophies and their connection to effective teaching and learning. Analysis of subsequent teaching philosophy statement research identifies three strands of inquiry: how to develop a teaching philosophy, the role of teaching philosophies in graduate education, and the relationship between teaching philosophies and continuous professional development. The impact of the papers and areas for future research are canvassed.