Philosophy of the Teacher

This book offers a philosophical study of the teacher. It brings various philosophical, social, religious and political perspectives to bear upon the work that teachers do and upon the often contradictory experiences they have in such work. In particular, it offers a deep philosophical analysis of the significance for teachers of the troubling relationship between theory and practice. The book offers an introduction for new and existing teachers to philosophical ways of exploring and understanding their work, as well as a deeper philosophical engagement aimed at the academic community of scholars in educational theory and philosophy of education, and in continental philosophy and social theory. Throughout the book, the arguments are grounded in the everyday experiences that teachers have, and the material is carefully and deliberately organised around these experiences.

Nigel Tubbs is a Principal Lecturer at University College Winchester where he was Programme Director of the undergraduate education studies course from 1992-2004. Prior to this he was a teacher in several English comprehensive schools. His previous publications include The New Teacher (1996), Contradiction of Enlightenment: Hegel and the Broken Middle (1997) and Philosophy’s Higher Education (2004).