Ingenuity as a pedagogical virtue of the inclusive teacher

La ingenuidad como virtud pedagógica del docente inclusivo

Abstract

This theoretical essay elaborates an understanding of teacher ingenuity as a desirable pedagogical virtue in the field of inclusive education and attention to diversity. Venturing beyond the current negative connotations of the word “ingenuity”, we reaffirm its etymological roots, associated with authenticity, openness, and simplicity. Our argument is based on the work of Gomá (e. g. 2023), who articulates learned (i.e., conscious, mature) ingenuity as a philosophical method. Here, we approach the concept through pedagogy, drawing on constructs developed by education theory: the teaching ego, wonder, lightness, and strategic empathy. Teacher ingenuity is seen as a virtue involving the educator’s ability to see the teaching-learning process and the pedagogical relationship with the student as a series of new, original, and authentic acts, whilst not rejecting experience, prior knowledge, or received culture. Thus it is not a question of deconditioning, but rather of enriching the teacher’s analytical and deductive perspective with a receptive attitude toward the novelty that each pedagogical relationship brings. In a field such as inclusive education, full of preestablished categories and prescriptions that appear set in stone and binding for all, ingenuity can help us rediscover a more concrete, personalized view from the standpoint of the singularity of each teacher, student, and setting. The implications of this in teacher education, the pedagogical relationship, and attention to diversity are outlined. The essay opens up a new, unexplored line of research in the field of teacher development and inclusive education.