Exploring the professional ideals of christian teachers from conservative protestant schools in the Netherlands

Abstract

Professional ideals arise from personal worldviews and specify teachers’ professional identities. This study aimed to explore how faith is present in the professional ideals of Christian teachers. The professional ideals of 107 Dutch teachers from conservative Protestant primary and secondary schools were explored using an open-ended questionnaire. The ideal educational aims and contents were closely connected: the ultimate essence of teaching was defined as passing on images of the perfect Christian person by modelling. Faith was represented by non-substantial religious ideals that are related to social behavior. Ideals about didactical strategies and teaching materials which demonstrate teachers’ Christian worldview were hardly found.