Patterns of Acting Wisely: A Virtue Ethical Approach to the Professional Formation of Christian Teachers

Abstract

Teachers require well-formed characters to practise their profession. Following previous research on the role of virtue in teachers’ professional practice, the author argues that teachers require patterns of wise action. Based on Aristotle’s cardinal virtues and Thomas Aquinas’s theological virtues, he elaborates on how such patterns can emerge in teachers’ professional formation. After considering the possibilities and limitations of practising virtuously and making patterns of wise action, the author proposes a model for empirical research on the role of virtues in teachers’ actions.