In recent years, there has been a growing interest in developing intellectual character at different educational levels (Matthews & Lerner, 2024). In 2023, 134 faculty members from 24 undergraduate programs attended a teacher training seminar at Universidad Austral (Argentina), which raised the following questions: What is an intellectual virtue? What is the vision of teaching that supports the development of intellectual virtues, and how is it linked to teaching practice?
This presentation aims to provide an experience of shared reflection on epistemic virtues (such as curiosity, open-mindedness, and intellectual humility), defined as intellectual character traits necessary for competent and motivated learning (Baehr, 2021). Participants' interventions in the virtual forums of asynchronous learning modules on Moodle are qualitatively analyzed.
Participants highlighted four core ideas: (i) The influence of committed teachers during their academic training left a deep mark on many of them, awakening their desire to inspire their students. (ii) Teaching is seen as a way to contribute to the common good and transform society, helping students become professionally trained and better people. (iii) The constant change in student profiles and the influence of technology challenge teaching methodology. (iv) The perception of apathy, lack of interest, and a culture of immediacy in students is recurrent, demanding additional efforts to awaken curiosity and engagement.
Deepening teachers’ understanding of intellectual virtues is essential for establishing a teaching practice that fosters intellectual character development. These insights will aid in designing new teacher training programs that integrate intellectual virtue literacy with educational practices.

Authors:
Julieta Laudadío, Austral University, Argentina
Cristina Carriego, Austral University, Argentina
Claudia Vanney, Austral University, Argentina

About the Presenter(s)
PhD in Education. Researcher and Professor at the Institute for Educational Research in Experimental Sciences (IIECE, National University of San Juan). Areas of interest: teacher training, teaching models, reflective practice.

Additional website of interest
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4049-6752

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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