The previous chapters emphasized that teaching involves multiple moral dilemmas, conflicts, and challenges. The development of ethical expertise in teaching is demanding and time consuming. Teachers require long-term goals and resilience to continue in their profession. Similarly, students require long-term goals to develop the stamina and motivation to continue in their studies. In this chapter, we present the purposeful teacher as a goal for teacher education and an important part of professional ethics. Purposeful teachers are educators who have found their own purpose in teaching and use content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge for developing purpose in their students.
1 Purpose in Teacherâs Professional Ethics
One of the most important goals of human existence is to find a clear purpose and place in life. Ideally, oneâs chosen occupation and work can provide such a purpose. The teaching profession has often been regarded as a calling (Hansen, 1995; Tirri et al., 1999). The teacherâs task is to help students develop holistically. In turn, studentsâ task is to view studying as meaningful and reflect on the purpose of their lives. Reflection with students on a purpose in life is one of the tasks of a holistic educator in all subjects and grade levels. Moreover, teachers cannot explain the purpose of studying different subjects without first reflecting on a purpose in life. The following questions are particularly challenging for teachers in their work:
- âWhy is it important to study different subjects, for example, mathematics or religion?
- âWhat is the long-term purpose of education?
- âHow does the subject students are studying relate to their current life situation?
Purpose is a stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at once meaningful to the self and of consequence to the world beyond the self. (Damon et al., 2003, p. 121)
A purpose in life is meaningful to the self. It is something that inspires and motivates a person and is personally important. A purpose in life is a concrete goal that can be reached in the long-term. This is how a purpose in life differs from the general and philosophical concept of the meaning of life.
A purpose in life is not only a dream or fantasy, as an individual is committed to realizing it and makes plans and choices and acts in order to attain it.
A purpose in life also benefits others and not only the self. (This moral prosocial emphasis distinguishes Damonâs definition from many other definitions.)
Based on Damonâs definition, earning money to become wealthy does not fulfil the criteria for a purpose in life. On the other hand, purposes that include the goals of helping others and building society do fulfil these criteria. Both the Finnish ethical code for teachers and the National Core Curriculum for Basic Education emphasize this beyond-the-self dimension. For teachers, this means acting in the best interest of students and working with students to support their growth into moral citizens.
2 Teachersâ Purposes
2.1 Teachersâ Purpose Profiles
Based on empirical studies, William Damon identifies four different groups into which young people can be categorized based on their purpose in life. He terms these groups disengaged, dreamers, dabblers and purposeful (Damon, 2008, p. 59). The same categorization can be applied to teachers.
From a teaching perspective, the disengaged are teachers who neither can formulate goals for their teaching nor are even interested in searching for such goals. Some disengaged teachers are not committed to anything, while others pursue hedonistic goals or self-promotion. Dreamers fantasize about goals they do not currently pursue, such as hypothetical educational ideals. They have taken no action to realize these ideals. Thus, they have idealistic dreams related to teaching and learning but lack concrete plans and practices.
Dabblers are teachers who might appear purposeful. For example, they may have participated in in-service education for teachers, but these experiences
By contrast, purposeful teachers âare ethical professionals with long-term commitment to their students and educational goals they intend to meet in their teachingâ (Tirri, 2018, p. 222). They can justify the goals they wish to achieve in their teaching and have found a purpose that inspires them in their everyday work and helps them to see the meaning of their work for the future. These teachers have taken concrete action to realize their goals and promote their educational philosophy.
Table 7 presents the purpose profiles of Finnish teachers by adapting Damonâs model (Tirri & Kuusisto, 2016a). The profiles can provide help in planning teachersâ professional development both in preservice and in-service teacher education. The direction of development is from a disengaged to a purposeful teacher. The profiles can be used to search for the general purpose of teaching and in reflection on the specific purposes of different subjects.
Teachersâ purpose profiles
| Purpose profile | Description |
|---|---|
| Disengaged | Disengaged teachers express no purposes for their teaching and are uninterested in searching for them. |
| Dreamers | Dreamers possess ideals about teaching and learning but do not actualize them. |
| Dabblers | Dabblers participate in in-service education for teachers, but they fail to internalize these experiences or reflect on and apply them professionally. |
| Purposeful | Purposeful teachers have identified the purpose of their teaching and are committed to it with long-term goals. They possess a clear understanding of what they wish to achieve and the justification for these goals. |
2.2 Contents of Teachersâ Purposes
We discuss next the kinds of purposes Finnish pre- and in-service teachers identify for themselves. The participants in our study were Finnish preservice teachers (n = 912) and practicing teachers (n = 77) who were asked to describe
When I am happy, I am a better mum. (Preservice teacher 2271, Kuusisto & Tirri, 2021, p. 6)
Finnish pre- and in-service teachersâ purposes according to their written statements (from Kuusisto & Tirri, 2021, p. 5)
| Categories in the statements | Preservice teachers (N = 912) | In-service teachers (N = 77) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self | Other | Self | Other | |||||||||
| N | % | n | % | n | % | N | % | n | % | n | % | |
| Happiness | 568 | 62 | 520 | 57 | 182 | 20 | 55 | 71 | 52 | 68 | 20 | 26 |
| Relationships | 402 | 44 | 318 | 35 | 133 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Work | 311 | 34 | 274 | 30 | 69 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 4 |
| Self-actualization | 245 | 27 | 240 | 26 | 23 | 3 | 21 | 27 | 21 | 27 | ||
| Hedonism | 158 | 17 | 158 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 14 | ||
| Social issues | 112 | 12 | 26 | 3 | 96 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Political influence | 105 | 12 | 19 | 2 | 94 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Economic goals | 70 | 8 | 69 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Religion | 51 | 6 | 37 | 4 | 24 | 3 | ||||||
| Health | 44 | 5 | 43 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Aesthetics | 29 | 3 | 24 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
Other popular purposes concerned relationships (44%), work (34%), and self-actualization (27%). Teachers aimed to have their own family, raise children and cherish close friendships.
Professionally, I do not have a clear purpose, even though I am studying to become a teacher. (Preservice teacher 4129, Kuusisto & Tirri, 2021, p. 8)
My purpose in life is to teach what I can and whom I can, to help others grow and understand life. (Preservice teacher 1064, Kuusisto & Tirri, 2021, p. 8)
[For me the most important purpose is to have a happy relationship and family life] and secondly to defend childrenâs rights to a good life and participate in their upbringing as a Kindergarten teacher. (Preservice teacher 1330, Kuusisto & Tirri, 2021, p. 8)
My purpose is to be my authentic self and also to help other people to be what they truly are. (Preservice teacher 1378, Kuusisto & Tirri, 2021, p. 6)
Purposes that were mentioned by under 20% of the teachers were related to hedonism (enjoying life, having fun), social issues (helping others, voluntary work), political influence (helping at a societal and global level), economic goals (having enough money, owning a home), religion, health, and aesthetics (making music or writing books).
All of the content categories were found to reflect both a self-orientation (the teacher wanted to be happy) and a beyond-the-self orientation (the teacher wished to advance the happiness of other people and especially the happiness of their own family and friends). However, the majority of purposes were clearly self-oriented (Table 8). Only when teachers were writing about purposes related to social issues (helping others) and political influence were they inclined to contribute to the wellbeing of others more than their own.
Teachersâ perceptions on how teaching manifests in their life purposes (from Kuusisto & Tirri, 2021, p. 8)
| Categories | In-service teachers | |
|---|---|---|
| N = 77 | % | |
| Teaching as a medium for realizing purpose | 60 | 78 |
| Â Â Beyond-the-self orientation (Other or self and other) | 34 | 44 |
| Â Â Self-orientation | 26 | 33 |
| No role | 5 | 6.5 |
| Unclear answer | 12 | 15.5 |
Figure 4 summarizes teachersâ purpose orientations. The majority of teachers had identified at least one content category, thus these Finnish teachers
Self- and beyond-the-self orientations among Finnish teachers (Note: the numbers above the bars denote percentages)
For a few teachers, taking care of their own family and children was the only aspect of their orientation to benefit others. Moreover, some teachers mentioned that they lacked a purpose in life or wrote that these types of questions should not be discussed at all. In addition, a small number failed to answer.
To investigate further teachersâ associations between their purpose and teaching, we asked in-service teachers (N = 77) to write their views on the topic. As Table 9 illustrates, when explicitly addressing this question, 78% of teachers saw teaching as a medium or instrument for realizing their purpose in life. This time, a beyond-the-self-orientation was more strongly present in teachersâ answers (44%). Nevertheless, one third of teachers (33%) viewed teaching as beneficial for their individual life goals. For a few teachers, purpose and teaching were unconnected.
Purpose profiles in relation to actualization and beyond-the-self aspects of purpose (from Moran 2009, p. 147)
| Beyond-the-self | High | Dreamer | Purposeful |
| Low | Disengaged | Self-oriented | |
| Low | High | ||
| Actualization | |||
Teachers also require goals that extend beyond the self in their work. If teaching is seen as a purpose in life instead of a job, the work becomes meaningful and teachers also wish to help their students find a purpose in their own lives. Researchers in teacher education frequently discuss the notion of vision, which provides motivation and helps teachers reflect on their work (Husu & Tirri, 2007; Tirri & Husu, 2006). Teachersâ trust in their ability to positively influence their studentsâ lives helps them commit to their work. In schools, teachers should be able to teach in such a way that students consider the
3 Purposeful Teaching
Purposeful teaching supports the goals of school education. It refers to holistic education that aims to place the subject taught in a meaningful framework and demonstrate its relevance to studentsâ personal development. For example, in 2014 the goals of basic education in the Finnish National Core Curriculum were updated to include studentsâ reflections on the connections between the past, the present and the future and the meanings of their own choices, lifestyles, and actions to themselves and their communities, society and nature. At the same time, the curriculum requires students to acquire skills to evaluate the actions of their communities and society and to advance sustainable development (FNBE, 2016).
The current curriculum thus topicalizes reflection on a purpose in life. Teaching about a purpose in life supports reflection on the choices and actions in oneâs own life not only within the framework of the self but also from the perspective of the community, society and nature. The Finnish curriculum guides students to commit themselves to pro-active actions to build a sustainable future. The curriculum goals emphasize finding a clear purpose in life that students are committed to realizing and that is meaningful both to themselves and others (Damon et al., 2003).
According to Damon (2008), the task of an educator is to help young people identify a sustainable and long-term purpose for their lives that supports their development and holistic growth. He suggests that the problems of young
In discussions on a purpose in life, the teacher serves as an example and role-model of an adult who can identify and verbalize important issues in life (Malin et al., 2013, p. 195). Research has demonstrated that such reflections on a purpose in life positively influence studentsâ goal-orientation and satisfaction (Bundick, 2011). Moreover, searching for a vision and planning for the future together with a teacher advances studentsâ ability to set goals and commit to achieving them in a purposeful and systematic manner (Bundick & Tirri, 2014; Nurmi, 1991).
3.1 Interactive Relationships in Teaching
The German concept Bildung refers to holistic education and teaching. It includes development as an individual and a member of a society. Teaching is realized through interaction between the teacher, student(s) and the study material (Herbart, 1835). The teaching-studying-learning process (Kansanen et al., 2000) includes important interactive relationships that are depicted in the didactical triangle in Figure 5. A teacherâs relationship with a student is termed a pedagogical relationship (Stadius, 1967, p. 25). The teacher and student are equal as human beings, but the teacher holds a professional role that conveys power and responsibility in the relationship with the student. This causes the pedagogical relationship to be asymmetric in nature (Kansanen & Meri, 1991). The pedagogical relationship also includes a pedagogical paradox: the teacherâs goal is to help students become so independent that the teacher is no longer required (Kant, 2007). Teachers master the content of their teaching, and the goal of teaching is to create similar relationship between the student and the subject that is studied. However, even though teachers possess knowledge of their own subject and are passionate about it, they also require pedagogical content knowledge to be able to teach the subject in such a way that their students learn (Shulman, 1986, 1987). Pedagogical content knowledge distinguishes the teacher from other experts in the field, who master the content but lack pedagogical knowledge. The didactical relationship refers to teachersâ relationship with their studentsâ studying and learning (Kansanen & Meri, 1999).
Didactic triangle (see Herbart, 1835; Kansanen & Meri, 1999; Tirri & Kuusisto, 2016b; Toom, 2006)
In teaching based on German didactics, the content may contain many meanings. However, âthere is no content without meaning and no meaning without contentâ (Hopmann, 2007, p. 116). Meaning is created through a teacherâs methodological decisions, for example by explaining and justifying to students why the content and course materials are important or by studentsâ written reflection on the meaningfulness of the subject (Durik & Harackiewicz, 2007; Hulleman & Harackiewicz, 2009). In a study published in the journal Science, Chris Hulleman and Judith Harackiewicz demonstrated that, for academically weak students, personal reflection on the subject matter studied in science had a statistically significant effect on success in their studies. However, this intervention had no influence on the success of high-achieving students (Hulleman & Harackiewicz, 2009).
3.2 General and Subject Specific Purposes in Teaching
In two Finnish studies, teachers and preservice teachers were asked to identify the most important purposes in their teaching (Tirri, 2012; Tirri & Ubani, 2013). The teachersâ answers contained general purposes that were common to all teachers in the study. Both practicing teachers and preservice teachers, irrespective of their subject, viewed themselves as responsible professionals whose task it was to teach the basic elements of their subjects. Moreover, they
In this research, subject-specific purposes were also evident. The most statistically significant differences were found between teachers of mathematics and teachers of religious education (Tirri, 2012; Tirri & Ubani, 2013). According to the results, both practicing and preservice mathematics teachers emphasized the need to acknowledge different learners in their teaching, for example gifted students and girls. Mathematics is often seen as a male subject, and girls can thus underestimate their skills (Cvencek et al., 2011). The teachers in the study were aware of this tendency and thus consciously encouraged girls to study mathematics. Moreover, mathematics is often seen as a difficult subject, and teachers wished to identify potential giftedness and support it in their teaching.
By contrast, both in-service and preservice religious education teachers emphasized the importance of personal reflection regarding the subject taught. This emphasis is also easy to understand, as in Finland religious education has always been a subject about which people have strong preconceptions. Ethically sensitive teachers can acknowledge timely ethical issues related to the subject and teach them to their students in ways that help them form their own opinions.
3.3 Cultural Differences in Purposeful Teaching
In the same way as teaching any subject or topic, to become a purposeful teacher requires acquisition of and reflection on content knowledge about a purpose in life in general. For example, teachers could ask themselves the following questions:
- âWhy is purpose important for holistic wellbeing and learning? Why is it essential that a purpose in life includes a long-term commitment to its realization and a beyond-the-self orientation?
- âHow does purpose develop? What are purpose profiles? What kind of purposes do young people typically have?
- âWhat is my own purpose in life? What kind of purpose profile do I have at the moment? How are my purposes in life and my profession linked?
In purposeful teaching, teachers also require pedagogical content knowledge, meaning that teaching takes accounts of studentsâ age, learning styles, and current developmental level to ensure that it supports individual and process-focused learning. In one of our studies, we examined teachersâ self-evaluations of their pedagogical approaches to teaching purpose and supporting studentsâ purpose development (Kuusisto et al., 2016). We investigated whether teachers explicitly discussed purpose in the classroom or implicitly taught it through revealing the personal relevance of the subject being taught. In this study, the participants were in-service teachers from Finland (n = 464) and Iran (n = 556).
Figure 6 shows the results and how Iranian teachers advocated an explicit style in which a purpose in life was discussed openly with students, while Finnish teachers utilized more implicit styles by showing the relevance of the subjects they taught. The Iranian findings can be explained by the aims of the Iranian curriculum and educational system, where, after the 1979 Islamic revolution, the government has required that every teacher from elementary school to higher education advances studentsâ commitment to the Iranian interpretation of the Islamic faith and values (Hedayati et al., 2017b). In other words, Iranian society has a clear idea of the kind of purpose that should be internalized. Finnish teachers instead, emphasized teaching the personal meaningfulness of the subject, which in turn reflects the Finnish tradition of didactics, indicating that the teacher facilitates the learning process by creating a personal relationship between the students and the subject they study regardless of the topic or subject in question.
Teaching purpose evaluated by Finnish and Iranian teachers
Figure 6 shows that the scores for Finnish in-service and preservice teachers were similar: both highlighted teaching personal relevance more than explicit discussions about purpose.
The preservice teachers who self-evaluated how they would teach purpose also provided answers related to the dimensions and content of purpose. Thus, we were able to analyze how purposeful teaching was predicted by such dimensions (purpose found [Steger et al., 2006], engagement [Ryff, 1989; Ryff & Keys, 1995], helping [Roberts & Robins, 2000], content â relationships, hedonistic, economic, political influence, religion and aesthetics â [Roberts & Robins, 2000] and the search for purpose [Steger et al., 2006]). The results showed that a purpose found, the search for purpose and helping predicted purposeful teaching (Tirri & Kuusisto, 2019). Instead, purposeful teaching was not predicted by either engagement in realizing oneâs own purpose or any of the content categories. This could be explained by the teachersâ written answers, which demonstrated that their personal purpose was mostly related to pursuing happiness and close relationships. The results presented in this chapter show a surprisingly strong self-orientation among Finnish teachers, which presents challenges for teacher education and the educational system.
3.4 Didactic Model of Purposeful Teaching in Teacher Education
Figure 7 presents a didactical model of purposeful teaching in teacher education based on German didactics (Hopmann, 2007; Toom et al., 2015). In the first phase of the process, preservice teachers write a description of a purposeful teaching or learning event during their own schooling. The goal of this phase is to identify the personal experiences of preservice teachers and guide them to reflect on these experiences. The preservice teachers are asked to write from their own experiences with the help of concrete questions that assist them in their reflection and writing. In this phase, it is important to relive the purposeful event and attempt to remember the details and feelings associated with it.
A didactical model of purposeful teaching in teacher education (adapted from Toom et al., 2015; Tirri & Kuusisto, 2016b)
At the second stage, preservice teachers are divided into small groups in which they are told to reflect on their purposeful experiences in more
In the third phase, preservice teachers jointly discuss their experiences and their different perspectives on them. The goal is to create new understandings of the situations in cooperation with a teacher and peers. Collective reflection allows a better and deeper understanding of the essential factors of these situations. In such discussions, a more general picture of the spectrum of purposeful experiences is formed that lays the foundation for finding purpose in teaching and learning. Finally, preservice teachers are asked to write a reflective essay on the second and third phases of the process. A teacher can use the stages in Bloomâs taxonomy in the evaluation of these essays (see Chapter 6 and Figure 11).
4 Studentsâ Purposes
In order to help students in their reflections on and search for a purpose in life, it is important for teachers to understanding the individual circumstances of their students. In the same way as a teacher evaluates studentsâ learning in different subjects, holistic growth and the development of purpose are to be acknowledged, diagnosed, and acted upon in school. Some students require support in their overall sense of purpose, some in pursuing that purpose and some in broadening their concerns beyond the self. Teachers must also recognize those students who thrive and possess clear visions as they enjoy addressing the multiple opportunities and new openings available to them (Damon, 2008). To offer some concrete examples for teachers, in this section we present the purposes in life identified by secondary school students in different countries. In our research, the participating students (n = 386) were 13â18-year-olds from different parts of Finland. We compare their purposes with those of US (n = 1250) and Brazilian (n = 275) young people (see Damon et al., 2009; Tirri & Kuusisto, 2019).
4.1 Studentsâ Purpose Profiles
Finnish studentsâ purpose profiles were created based on three dimensions of Damon et al.âs definition of purpose (Damon et al., 2003): the extent to which students feel that they have found a purpose (Steger et al., 2006), their level of
The profiles were named in line with the categories defined in Seana Moranâs study, presented below in Table 10 (Moran, 2009, p. 147). While Moran uses the same three proposed by Damon â disengaged, dreamers, and purposeful (Damon, 2008) she also includes a group termed self-oriented youth, which refers to young people who have identified and committed to realizing important goals but lack the motivation to help others and contribute beyond the self.
Figure 8, in turn, depicts the four purpose profiles we identified among Finnish students (Tirri & Kuusisto, 2019). All profiles differed statistically
Purpose profiles of Finnish students (means are standardized z-values, since two instruments contained a scale of 1â7 and one 1â5)
The largest group, accounting for almost one third of students, was dreamers (n = 111, 29%). These students had not yet fully found their purpose and thus were not actively working to realize it. However, helping others was important to them. Nevertheless, for dreamers, purpose was gradually taking shape. From an educatorâs perspective, these students could benefit from teacher help in identifying concrete ways to participate and contribute, such as encouraging them to take on small-scale responsibilities and participate, for example, in voluntary work. When dreamers gradually begin to realize their visions to help others, their sense of purpose and agency becomes stronger (Damon, 2008).
In turn, one fourth of students were self-oriented (n = 96, 25%). They had found meaningful aims and were engaged in realizing them, but they were uninterested in benefiting others. Since this profile lacks a beyond-the-self dimension, within Damon et al.âs framework these students are not yet considered to possess a purpose. Instead, they have life goals that they pursue. From the teacherâs perspective, these students require help in learning to recognize the needs of others and shape their life goals in a prosocial direction, in line with the goals of the National Core Curriculum (see FNBE, 2016). Self-orientation seems to be growing trend in many cultures (Moran, 2019). For instance, even in countries that have traditionally valued communality, such as Iran and China, today young people emphasize materialistic and self-oriented life goals (Hedayati et al., 2017c; Jiang & Gao, 2018).
Almost one fourth of students were purposeful (n = 88, 23%). These students had found a purpose, were engaged in realizing it, and wanted to help others. From the teacherâs perspective, it should be noted that even purposeful students require teacher support in developing and deepening their purpose. Purpose development is a process where purpose is revised throughout the life course (Bronk, 2014).
Over 10% of students were identified as disengaged (n = 52, 13.5%). They had not found their purpose, were not pursuing it, and were uninterested in helping others. This group seems to be in potential danger of dropping out, sliding outside education and working life and becoming so called NEET s, in other words young people who are not in education, employment or training (Damon, 2008). In schools, it is crucial that teachers are able to recognize these students and offer help to allow them to identify a meaningful purpose for their lives.
The proportion of students belonging to the profiles identified in Finland was somewhat similar to that in Moranâs research, in which the participants were 12â22-year-old (N = 270) young people from the US (Moran, 2009). For
Purpose profiles are useful tools for teachers in identifying and diagnosing their studentsâ purpose development. However, in addition to the profiles themselves, teachers need to know their content. This informs teachers about studentsâ interests and helps them create a relationship with studentsâ learning, i.e., a didactical relationship. The nature of studentsâ purposes also reveals how a beyond-the-self orientation, which is a crucial element in Damonâs purpose definition, is manifested in their thinking and behavior.
4.2 Contents of Student Purposes in Three Countries
Next, the contents of purposes held by Finnish (n = 386), the US (n = 1247) and Brazilian (n = 260) students (Damon et al., 2009; Tirri & Kuusisto, 2019) are examined. The students were asked to choose the most important purpose from the list presented in Figure 9. Students were also advised to ponder each item on a scale of 1â7 (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree) and answer the question âHow much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? The purpose of my life is to â¦â (for more about the instrument, see Bundick et al., 2006).
The most important purpose among Finnish, US and Brazilian young people
Finnish studentsâ purpose in life most often concerned family and friends (25%) and having fun (16%). By contrast, those in the US selected serving God or a higher power (16%) and family and friends (14%). In turn, the rankings of their Brazilian counterparts were more evenly distributed between family and friends (13%), a good career (12%), making the world a better place (12%) and earning other peopleâs respect (12%).
In all three countries, family and friends made life purposeful for young people. When measured on a scale of 1â7, religion was among the least pursued purposes and contained the largest standard deviation, also in the US, which means that for some, youth spirituality seemed to provide the basis for their life and purpose, while for others it was not meaningful at all.
Within Damonâs framework, we were naturally interested in whether the aims of the participants were self-serving, indicating a self orientation (life goal),
Among Finnish youth, family and friends were part of advancing their own life and were associated with the same category as career, money, success, duties, having fun, gaining other peopleâs respect and doing things right. Instead, the US and Brazilian young people linked family and friends with making the world a better place. In America, family, religion and country were associated with helping others. Similarly, in Brazil, making the world a better place was linked with home and religion (Brazilian young people did not evaluate the item âserving your countryâ). Among US and Brazilian youth, success in their own life was related to economic achievements, career, and fun. Nevertheless, in all three countries, they emphasized their own lives more than their contribution to the world (Figure 10). These results indicate that teachers should specifically focus on helping students broaden their interests to find a purpose in serving and benefiting others.
Means of purpose orientations among Finnish, US, and Brazilian youth
- âWhat is your purpose in life? Compare your answers with your peers.
- âEvaluate William Damonâs definition of a purpose in life. Do you agree with it or do you want to present your own definition?
- âReflect on the nature of the pedagogical relationship and your own role in it. What are your challenges as a teacher?
- âWhat is your relationship with the content you teach? Do you master all the content you teach equally? Do you have a favorite subject? Do you find any subject or theme unpleasant or challenging? Reflect on how you could improve your relationship with the content in those subjects that are difficult for you.
- âWhat does pedagogical content knowledge mean? How does it differ from simple content knowledge?
- âWhat is the didactical relationship? How could you improve the didactical relationship in ways that would increase your studentsâ motivation to study?
- âWhat methods can you use to open the meaning of the subject you teach to your students? Exchange ideas in a group.
- âWhat purposes guide your teaching? How are they related to the purposes in your own life and the purposes presented in the curriculum?
- âDiscuss the different purpose profiles in Table 7. In what group do you belong? Why?
- â
Both practicing teachers and preservice teachers evaluated happiness as their most important purpose in life. Ponder the content of happiness. What makes you happy as a person and as a teacher? - âBecome familiar with the teachersâ written answers on purpose presented in this chapter. What is your purpose personally and professionally? Write it down.
- âPonder why some of the teachers in our study lacked a purpose. Why should purpose be discussed in school and teacher education?
- âTable 9 shows how many teachers associated their purpose in life with teaching. Think about this issue. Is teaching your purpose in life? Why?
- âBecome familiar with Figure 6, which presents teachersâ evaluations of how they support their studentsâ purpose in life. Ponder what factors could explain the differences between Finnish and Iranian teachers. How would you teach purpose to your students? Evaluate your approach with the items presented in Figure 6.
- âPonder the meaning of helping in the teaching profession. What does helping mean in a teaching context? Whom is the teacher helping?
- âStudy the didactical model presented in Figure 7. Try it in practice to support your own learning and advance your studentsâ learning.
- âFamiliarize yourself with the pedagogical approaches presented by Malin (2018) in her book Teaching for Purpose: Preparing Students for Lives of Meaning. Choose one approach that you would like to try. Discuss the approaches in a group and develop new ones.
- âBecome familiar with the part of Table 10 (Moran) that presents the profiles in relation to the realization of purpose and the beyond-the-self dimension. In which profile would you locate yourself?
- âBecome familiar with the purpose profiles of Finnish students (Figure 8) and compare them with the American results. What could explain the similarities and differences between the profiles of Finnish and American youth?
- âBecome familiar with the types of purpose mentioned in Figure 9. Which are the most important for you? You can compare your answers with the results of students reported in this chapter. How do purposes differ among Finnish, US and Brazilian youth? What do young people in different cultures think about making the world a better place?