Looking back

An artist, teacher, and researcher reflects on his professional development

Abstract

This study aims to shed light through Aristotelian action research on the importance of long-term introspection and self-understanding for teachers. Education is the foundation of modern society in which teachers play a crucial role. There is, however, often a tension between a teacher’s personal views and experiences on one hand and society’s expectations on the other, creating a tension between systemic ideas about the role of education and personal existential ideas. Hafþór Guðjónsson (2002) argues that despite the creative approaches to teacher education, an institutional culture takes over when new teachers start their professional careers. Despite the school’s environment being fixed, it does not apply to organic and independent entities as human beings: students and teachers. Therefore, teachers must find a middle ground through constant reflection. Teaching can never be fully mastered, but it is a continuous developmental process that resembles the artist’s profession.

In this personal and reflective account, the author describes his career exploration to better understand his journey on a lifelong path of being an artist, teacher, and researcher. The researcher’s theoretical foundation is, among other things, based on Maxine Greene’s (1973) ideas about the moral value of teaching and the importance of teachers’ consciousness of their multifaceted roles, meeting challenges with clear intentions and meaning (Greene, 1973, p. 69). The individual must seek the virtues to achieve this goal, especially the virtue Aristotle called “phronesis”, or practical wisdom, which he defines as an intellectual virtue that possesses unique qualities connecting other intellectual virtues (such as knowledge and curiosity) and moral virtues (such as justice and temperance). Aristotle (2011) considered happiness to be the highest goal of human life. A crucial part of happiness is virtue, which can be found in moderation. The contemporary interest in Aristotle’s virtue ethics stems from recognising that we must acquire knowledge and skills to help us confront life’s challenges virtuously. Individuals must make decisions that align with their inner life, emotions, and self-understanding instead of deciding right and wrong based on pre-determined, rigid methods.

Data were gathered through writings in a research journal where anecdotes, memories, and reflections played a crucial role, in addition to interviews with critical friends. In the conclusion section, the author places his developmental process in context and delineates the evolution of his identity from an artist to a teacher and, subsequently, to a researcher. The journey ultimately leads the author back to the starting point, where he describes how the artist once again takes the steering wheel and invites the teacher and the researcher to join, hoping they will contribute to the journey. The findings suggest the importance of teachers reflecting on their professional lives while simultaneously contributing to their multifaceted roles and being dedicated to their work. Furthermore, teachers should seek ways to engage in fruitful discussions about their challenging work with other teachers and researchers.