Abstract
Teaching has long been understood within Christian theology as a vocational practice shaped by faith, moral formation, and lived discipleship. Yet within U.S. public schooling, the Separation of Church and State restricts explicit engagement with religion, often rendering educators’ faith identities invisible within school buildings and classrooms. This covertness does not eliminate the formative influence of faith; rather, it obscures how teachers’ faith identities inform their ethical reasoning, teaching practices, and pedagogical choices. When faith remains unexamined, it may operate implicitly, shaping classroom interactions without the benefit of critical reflection or institutional support.
Despite the prominence of culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) as a framework for addressing diversity and justice in K–12 education, little scholarship attends to the ways teachers’ religious identities intersect with culturally responsive teaching. Guided by FaithCrit, this qualitative study examines how urban K–12 teachers understand their faith identities and how those identities inform their display of culturally responsive pedagogy. This study positions faith as a meaningful component of teacher identity and pedagogical formation, offering implications for teacher preparation, professional development, and faith-conscious approaches to culturally responsive teaching in pluralistic educational contexts.
Recommended Citation
Kyles, Candace M.
(2026)
"Teaching as Testimony: Examining the Relationship Between High School Teachers’ Faith Identity and Pedagogy,"
The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community: Vol. 8:
Iss.
1, Article 2.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/jfec/vol8/iss1/2
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons, Other Education Commons, Urban Education Commons
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