EDUC 639

Social Responsibility

Teaching is a unique profession in that, along with teaching content, educators are guiding the formation of each student that enters the classroom. Teachers are role models, who are promoting critical and rational thinking. While teachers have the obligation to teach content, they are also simultaneously modeling integrity, partnering with the learning community, and shaping student values. If this feels like a big undertaking, that’s because it is. Abrahao et al. (2025) talk about the four pillars of competence, which teachers should employ and model. These pillars are values (such as democracy), attitude (such as respect), skill (such as flexibility), and knowledge/ critical understanding. This goes to show that the responsibility of a teacher extends far beyond the standards they are teaching, regardless of if the teachers want that responsibility or not. However, are teachers being properly prepared for this role? In a study done by Bondy (2025), there is a call to action for teacher preparation programs to better equip future educators with the tools needed to fulfill this extensive duty. Educators can be better prepared for this by participating in professional development on social issues, continuously reflecting on how they are leading their students, and possessing empathy and real world character.

References:

Abrahão, V. de M., Vaquero-Diego, M., & Currás Móstoles, R. (2024). University social responsibility: The role of teachers. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 9(1), 100464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100464

Bondy, J. M. (2025). Productive diversity, liability, and social responsibility: white women preservice teachers’ understanding of undocumented status. Multicultural Education Review, 17(2), 123–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/2005615X.2025.2498546