What Are the Eight Duties of a Teacher in Nel Nodding’s Philosophy of Education?

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/jpiut.2026.71047.4405

Abstract

This article delineates the core duties of a teacher as articulated within Nel Noddings' ethics of care, a relational philosophy that fundamentally reconceptualizes education. Moving beyond conventional models of instruction, Noddings positions the teacher as a "carer" whose primary ethical obligation is to foster authentic, reciprocal relationships that support holistic student development. The teacher's responsibilities encompass authentically modeling care through daily actions; engaging in open, exploratory dialogue; creating opportunities for students to practice caring; confirming students' best moral motives and potential; responsively attending to expressed and inferred needs; cultivating an overarching classroom climate of care; prioritizing caring relations over systems of control and standardization; and practicing engrossment and motivational displacement. These interconnected duties collectively reorient pedagogy from a focus on authority and curricular delivery to one centered on ethical encounter, responsiveness, and the nurturing of students' capacity to care. The argument demonstrates that in Noddings' framework, the caring relation is both the essential means and a paramount end of education, wherein academic learning and moral development are inextricably linked within a context of trust and mutual respect. The teacher's ultimate aim is to educate individuals capable of sustaining caring relationships throughout their personal, civic, and intellectual lives.

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References

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Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 19, Issue 53 - Serial Number 53
Articles
Issue 53, Winter 2026
December 2025
Pages 615-626

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