Authentic teachers: Student criteria perceiving authenticity of teachers

What is it about?

Does a teacher need to be authentic? The concept of authenticity has been discussed for decades, but what it actually means to be authentic as a teacher seldom progresses past the realm of philosophy. To get a better grip on this concept we asked students in secondary education what – in their eyes – an authentic teacher is. Based on their responses, we distilled four criteria. Teachers are perceived as authentic when they know what they are talking about and can translate subject matter to the students’ knowledge level (expertise). Second, authentic teachers are passionate about what they teach (passion). Third, authentic teachers give students the feeling that each student and each class is different (uniqueness). Finally, authentic teachers aren’t friends with their students, but have an interest in them (distance).

Featured Image

Why is it important?

By describing these student perceptions, this study helps us to understand and build better relations between students and teachers.

Perspectives