Emerald Henderson

Doctoral researcher

Emerald HendersonResearch topic

Emulation in the School Context: Cultivating Teacher Character Through Role Modelling 

Research summary

Largely rooted in neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics, character education seeks to morally transform pupils’ characters by imbuing them with substantive ethical ideals in the form of virtues. Within both virtue ethics and character education, the emulation of moral role models – such as teachers – is considered a prime method of virtuous character development. Yet despite the pedagogical appeal of role modelling, what emulation involves remains obscure. Emerald’s research aims to disambiguate the methodology of emulation qua role modelling by devising a philosophically discerning and psychologically realistic 'theory of emulation'. Though doing so, she intends to illuminate how role modelling works, particularly in the context of teacher education. As a result of her research, she hopes to raise the profile of role modelling as a strategy for virtuous character development in teachers.

Research interests

  • Neo-Aristotelian character education
  • Applied virtue ethics
  • Moral exemplarism
  • Teacher education and professional ethics
  • Ethical virtue-based naturalism

Research supervisors

Professor Kristján Kristjánsson and Dr Laura D’Olimpio

Qualifications

  • MA Applied Ethics (Utrecht University)
  • PGCE – Secondary Religious Studies (King’s College London)
  • BA Philosophy (King’s College London)

Source of funding

University of Birmingham’s College of Social Sciences Scholarship

Conference papers

Aretai Center on Virtues Conference (Rome) 29/09/2022

Paper presentation: Illuminating the Methodology of Role Modelling: A Four-Causal Account of Emulation as a Moral Virtue

AME Annual Conference (Manchester) 22/07/2022

Paper Presentation: The Necessity of Action: Reconceptualising Emulation as a Moral Virtue to Illuminate Role Modelling in Neo-Aristotelian Character Education 

PESGB Annual Conference (New College, Oxford) 27/03/2022

Paper presentation: Role Moralities and Role Models: Reinterpreting the Nicomachean Ethics in the Context of Neo-Aristotelian Character Education 

University of Birmingham’s School of Education PGR Conference (Online) 27/11/2021

Paper presentation: Role Moralities and Role Models - Initial Explorations 

Publications

Henderson, E., 2022. The educational salience of emulation as a moral virtue. Journal of Moral Education, pp.1-16.

Contact

Email: eih168@student.bham.ac.uk