Beliefs Into Practice: A Religious Inquiry Into Teacher Knowledge

In the field of teacher knowledge, “beliefs” is a large term narrowly constructed. The beliefs theorized, researched, and discussed are beliefs about technique, methodology, curriculum, classroom management, professional development, and similarly. Spiritual and religious beliefs are for the most part omitted. This study argues that they should be included, especially because they already fit the area of inquiry the field has defined for itself. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative questionnaire study is to explore how Christian ESOL teachers perceive and describe putting their personal religious beliefs into practice in their professional lives. This study found that as a result of their religious beliefs, respondents believed they should (a) act in a loving or charitable manner toward their students; (b) respect all students as intrinsically valuable human beings; (c) teach in student-centered ways; and (d) witness to their Christian faith. Participants' responses illuminate the interrelationships and interactions among personal and professional beliefs in the formation of teacher knowledge.