Intra- and interpersonal orientation in the teaching vocation: trajectories of character strengths in university students

Abstract

The vocation in the professions such as psychologist or teacher can be seen from the orientation to the other in the sense of competent self-management to accompany otherness. In itself, the relationship between the aspects of self-management (the intrapersonal) and orientation towards the other (the interpersonal) in care professions is complex, and its evolution in times of pandemic would merit additional reflection. Although we are now past the pandemic context, those circumstances still have many elements to analyze as they could be seen as a powerful personal and social variable. Thus, on one hand, in some way the forced isolation put us in greater contact with ourselves, providing more time and opportunities for reflection on what truly human nature is, allowing for the development of intrapersonal aspects in teachers and students. On the other hand, the reduced contact and the transition to distance education made us reappraise interpersonal aspects in the context of formal education. That is why in this analysis we recover personal trajectories of character strengths development of teachers and students of the Educational Sciences Department, organizing their analysis around the axes of intra- and interpersonal orientation, pointing out common trends in the academic context that contributed to shaping teacher profession and professional calling. A second comparative stage is pending to longitudinally assess those changes long due because of the complexity of the beginning of the century, and hopefully lasting for the sake of the strengthening of health care professions and the growth of human beings.