The Significance of Teacher’s Conception of Humanity

We all possess a unique conception of humanity shaped by our experiences and culture. This conception can be more or less conscious. The more deeply rooted our conception of humanity is – for example, due to religious beliefs or a monocultural upbringing – the more challenging it may be for us to understand people who think or act in different ways. How, then, should a teacher approach their conception of humanity, and to what extent can it influence their pedagogical choices and actions?

Many of the values and attitudes guiding a teacher’s actions are based on their conception of humanity: what kind of beings humans are, whether they have free will, how they learn, what the purpose of teaching is and what can be achieved through education. Even a simple question about whether the primary purpose of education is to prepare individuals for the workforce or to help them grow into self-realised individuals leads to very different solutions in how we approach learners. On a societal level, the conceptions of humanity held by lobbyists and individuals making educational policy decisions impact the way the entire educational field is directed. Similarly, a teacher may see their role mainly as a disseminator of knowledge, a conveyor of information, rather than a supporter or mentor fostering learners’ active learning. Our beliefs about human learning capacity influence our perseverance in finding ways to engage learners or support them in understanding course content. Teachers who are aware of their conception of humanity are better able to plan their teaching and comprehend the values and attitudes guiding their thinking and actions.

Three Groups of Conceptions of Humanity

Conceptions of humanity can be classified in various ways. From the perspective of teaching and the significance of education, a classification can be made into predeterministic, deterministic (externally determined), and non-deterministic (guided by free will) conceptions of humanity (Susimetsä, 2018). In this context, the focus is particularly on the potential role of the teacher as an educator and trainer: to what extent is individual growth predetermined, and how much can the environment (including the teacher) influence it? Moreover, how much can an individual guide their own development through their choices and actions? However, it is essential to note that some conceptions of humanity address human beings in a very multifaceted manner, and some of them have changed over time. Therefore, placing them in a single category can be problematic.

Predeterministic Thinking – Predetermined Human Destiny 

The first group, predeterministic conceptions of humanity, refers to beliefs that an individual’s life path is predetermined in some way, based on biology, genetic heritage, divine will or fate. This group includes the classical essentialist conception of humanity, where humans are seen to possess an unchanging essence, and which has consequently been used to justify racial and class distinctions. In this view, norms of human life and the goals of development are determined by an unchanging essence. This manifests as teacher-centred teaching and a passive role for learners (Korhonen et al., 2019). In many religious conceptions of humanity, choices made by individuals are considered predetermined or already known to a higher power (e.g., in Christianity and Islam). While there is a broad range of religions worldwide, they often emphasise a dependency relationship on something greater than the individual, defining the essence of humanity through it. The primary goal of education is to approach an ideal, such as the image of God (Vienola et al., 2022). 

The biological conception of humanity can also be traced back to this premise, and its deterministic orientation sees humans mainly as products of their genetic makeup (Imran et al., 2019). In this context, the teacher is an authority who meticulously plans the teaching process. However, in its more recent forms, this conception has evolved to be more relativistic, viewing humans, and some other animal species, as beings that have become, through evolution, aware of their existence and possessing culturally inherited skills (Kokkonen, 2020). Finally, according to the naturalistic conception of humanity, humans are creatures among others in nature. Naturalists believe that education should prepare and equip learners for the “struggle for existence and survival.” The traditional naturalistic view sees teaching as teacher-led, while a more modern version accepts a broader scientific basis and emphasises the learners’ active role in the learning process (Lemechkova-Toivonen et al., 2021).

The predeterministic conceptions of humanity can be crystallised with sayings like “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” or “what is meant to happen, will happen.” A teacher who believes that learners’ ability to develop certain skills is determined by genetic heritage, destiny or divine guidance may give up if they feel that a learner has reached their limit. Alternatively, they may treat learners from different family or cultural backgrounds differently, thinking that their abilities are determined by the success of the learner’s parents or genetic heritage. The teaching methods of such a teacher are very teacher-centred, and the teacher decides what topics are important to learn. They may see their ability to influence a learner’s skill development as limited, attributing learners’ poor academic performance to factors like lack of talent, rather than recognising their own lack of relational skills or weaknesses in their teaching methods. In today’s Finnish education, predeterministic conceptions of humanity may not be explicit, but they may still be present in everyday thinking.

Deterministic Thinking – Human Destiny Determined by the Environment

The second main category is the deterministic conceptions of humanity, where it is seen that the environment and various chains of events determine what we become, and the significance of free will is minimal or negligible. A classic example of this group is the behaviourist conception of humanity, which posits that humans seek pleasure and satisfaction, and that their behaviour is shaped by a wish to repeat behaviour producing the most satisfying results. In this context, the teacher teaches learners to react correctly to specific stimuli through praise and good grades. Similarly, evaluation is based mainly on the correctness of external performance (e.g., an exam answer, the use of a device, actions in a situation), and not on ensuring understanding of the content or addressing the values and attitudes guiding one’s actions (Miilumäki et al., 2022).

In social determinism, it is seen that an individual is primarily a product and reflection of their cultural or linguistic environment. An individual’s development is influenced by various environmental factors, such as parents, siblings, friends, teachers, media, hobbies, power relations and many more, in such a multifaceted way that a pure monoculture never arises. The importance of language is demonstrated by the concept of linguistic determinism, which suggests that the language a person learns determines their way of conceptualising and understanding the surrounding world (Gbadegeshin et al., 2019).

According to the Marxist conception of humanity, humans are social beings: an individual’s interactive relationship with the surrounding society determines their place in the community. The individual’s personality is directed through education, ensuring their socialisation into society from an early age (Gylling et al., 2022). Similarly, according to the Freudian conception of humanity, human development is influenced by demands and pressures from parents, caregivers and society. The role of the family and childhood upbringing and experiences are considered crucial for development (Lemechkova-Toivonen et al., 2022).

In the differential psychological conception of humanity, it is acknowledged that both environmental and hereditary factors influence human development. However, with the correct teaching methods, it is possible to influence how a person learns and develops. The key is to find the correct, as homogeneous as possible, learner group for each learner (Laiho et al., 2023).

Overall, the deterministic conceptions of humanity have an optimistic view regarding human educability. A teacher with such a worldview understands that they are one environmental factor among others. They see themselves as strong mediators of vocational or professional culture and believe that their job is to support the development of learners’ professional identity. Through choices of teaching methods and careful planning of instruction, the teacher ensures the transfer of cultural heritage to the next generation and contributes to the upbringing of adults who are active participants in the society. The learning process is designed to be teacher-centred, and the outcomes of learning depend on the teacher’s expertise.

Non-deterministic Thinking – Humans Shape Their Destiny

In the third category, non-deterministic conceptions of humanity, it is believed that individuals can shape their path and influence their development – they possess autonomy or free will. However, even in these conceptions, the significance of the environment and previous experiences for human choices is recognised – free choices do not occur in a vacuum.

The concept of free will, the ability of a person to make independent decisions and choices, is challenging to define. The existence of free will is still a subject of debate. Heisenberg (2009), for example, suggests that the free will of a living being is evident in its capacity for independent and adaptive action. Although it is impossible to prove or disprove the existence of free will with current knowledge, studies have shown that belief in free will affects people’s motivation and deliberation (Watanabe et al., 2016).

The purest conception of free will may be found in the existentialist conception of humanity. According to this perspective, individuals have the freedom and responsibility to find meaning in their own lives, and this cannot be externally defined. Everyone is unique (Aho, 2023), and the purpose of education is to awaken self-awareness and provide options from which an individual can choose their interests (Hirsjärvi, 1985, p. 160).

In the humanistic conception of humanity, it is seen that teachers can, through their actions, support learners’ inherent curiosity and desire to learn. The learners’ interests and self-expression define their life path, which may not necessarily align with the needs or economic interests of the surrounding society. The learners themselves are the best judges of whether their development has been positive (e.g. Flahault, 2013, para. 19). When openly and unrestrictively supporting the personal development of learners, teachers may find it challenging to assess their competence based on pre-set criteria. On the other hand, by compelling learners to focus on the contents of the curriculum, teachers may fear stifling their inherent interest in the subject (Brofelt et al., 2020).

Wechsler (1944, p. 17) defined intelligence as a person’s general ability to act purposefully and effectively in their environment. He emphasised the importance of logical reasoning as a factor in intelligence. According to this view, individuals would not be mere products of their environment but capable of independent decision-making based on existing knowledge. This thinking gave rise to the so-called cognitive conception of humanity, which sees self-regulation skills and autonomy as the most significant determinants of development. The ideal learner can assimilate desired learning objectives and set intermediate goals for themselves. Learning is the result of cognitive information processing. As in humanism, the responsibility for learning lies on the learner, but in cognitive theory, instead of love and emotional support, the teacher’s task is to support learners’ goal-setting and develop their cognitive and metacognitive learning skills (Munyoro et al., 2019).

As a counterpoint to the cognitive perspective, we can examine the socio-cultural conception of humanity, which belongs to the same family of conceptions as social determinism. In this view, it is seen that individual growth is the process of becoming a part of a culture (enculturation), but individuals can also change the culture through their actions. According to Vygotsky (1978), knowledge and understanding develop first in a social environment, from which the individual then internalises it. An individual’s cognition, the ability to process information, thus develops because of social interaction and language learning, which is contrary to the cognitive view, which sees brain development leading, for example, to the development of language skills. Even within the same culture, everyone undergoes a unique enculturation process because no one’s stimulus environment is entirely the same. Free will manifests as the individual’s ability to make meaningful choices within the context of culture and environment (Robertson, 2017). According to this conception, a successful teacher supports the development of learners’ identity and growth into a new culture (e.g. adulthood, work life and professional field). They aim to create situations in which the learner feels accepted as a member of the community but also has the freedom to bring new ideas and ways of action into the culture. Teaching methods are collaborative, and the role of group work and shared problem-solving is emphasised (Gbadegeshin et al., 2019).

In the holistic conception of humanity, the individual is seen as a whole, composed of 1) the body and its senses, 2) the mental and spiritual mind, and 3) the concrete and idealistic situationality. The individual is a thinking mind that experiences their environment through their body and situationality. In the holistic view, individuals are viewed as unique beings that no outsider can ever fully understand. The teacher’s task is to support the learners in their growth, avoiding judgments and preconceptions. The teacher aims to teach learners to approach diversity openly and to encounter each person as a unique individual. The role of the teacher and the community is to help the learner to recognise their possible limitations (e.g., values and attitudes, surrounding culture, beliefs and fears) and, where possible, overcome them. (Malme et al., 2019)

In the postmodern conception of humanity, the conception of oneself, i.e., the “self,” is independent of the surrounding society. Individuals continually construct their self through the choices they make. The teacher’s task is to nurture the learner’s self-esteem and motivation by offering diverse learning experiences. Each learner constructs or builds a unique assortment of competences during the learning process. Therefore, teaching is learner-centred, and the teacher’s role is that of a guiding facilitator of learning. (Välimaa et al., 2023)

Similar thinking about free will and individuality is found in Eastern philosophies. In Buddhism, there is the concept of pratītyasamutpāda, which asserts a cause-and-effect relationship – if one thing happens, it leads to another. Individual choices that seem free are not genuinely free but determined by previous events. However, the emphasis in Buddhism is on free will from the perspective of moral growth, which occurs only through conscious and compassionate choices (Repetti, 2015). Hinduism involves a similar cause-and-effect philosophy, but it acknowledges that, despite this, an individual can influence karma through conscious and deliberate choices (Vālmīki, 1891, p. 237). Both philosophies delve deeply into the nature of knowledge and true understanding. For instance, Buddha encouraged his disciples to engage in independent critical thinking, and his word was not to be taken as an unquestionable truth.

Many of the conceptions of humanity in this third group are prominently present in contemporary Finnish society. Educational structures and practices, including the emphasis on learners’ free will and uniqueness, equality, learner-centredness and the learner’s active role in the learning process, form the basis of the current Finnish education system.

Conceptions of Humanity and Pedagogical Choices

This article has briefly presented several conceptions of humanity, and we can already see how a teacher’s understanding of individuals and their capacity to learn influences their choices regarding pedagogical models and teaching methods. A teacher who views learning as the acquisition of skills and knowledge assesses their learners based on how well they can replicate the teacher’s model performance or comprehend the textbook text. On the other hand, those who see learning as the construction of knowledge value learners’ critical thinking and reflection. A teacher experiencing learning as an individual process may emphasise individual performance and assessments, while a teacher who sees learning as social activity might focus on learning relational skills and collaborative problem-solving methods.

It should be remembered, however, that we all have our own conception of humanity, which may include aspects or perspectives from several of the above conceptions – or perhaps from some not mentioned. Exploring philosophical conceptions of humanity helps us reflect on our personal beliefs and possibly become more aware of them. Familiarity with various conceptions helps a teacher critically examine their actions and choices – and justify their pedagogical choices to both themselves and to learners. Similarly, knowledge of different philosophies helps a teacher work with diverse learners and their expectations.

In this article, we have referred extensively to articles developed at Häme University of Applied Sciences, in the Professional Teacher Education unit, from 2018 to 2023. The article series originated from the “Toimintaa ja kohtaamisia” (“Action and Encounters”) project (2017–2019), funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The project aimed to develop methods to promote an active approach and human rights and democracy competence in teacher education. All articles were written through the collaboration of teacher students and their supervising teachers of educational science. The process took several years and was rewarding and instructive. We want to thank everyone involved in this important work – the authors, peer reviewers and the publishing branch of Häme University of Applied Sciences. For those studying to become teachers, this educational philosophy topic has been highly significant, and now there is fresh learning material on the subject.

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This is a translation by Marko Susimetsä of the article “Ihmiskäsitysten merkitys opettajan työssä” published on 8.5.2023 in HAMK Unlimited Journal.

One reference (Flahault, 2013) has been added to the article, which was not included in the original version.