We argue that many difficulties in daily school life lie in teachers’ attitudes toward education. We distinguish between two fundamental attitudes, which, following Sigmund Freud, we term “superego-based attitude” and “ego-based attitude”. The superego-based attitude generally prevails but has only a narrow sociological or psychological basis. The ego-based attitude, though less common, has roots in educational philosophy, psychology, sociology and psychoanalysis and is supported by scientific findings. We show that the superego-based attitude reproduces many of the problems it seeks to solve, which do not arise when an ego-based attitude is implemented. We argue that the concept of cognitive dissonance is essential to the understanding of the difference between the two attitudes. We also argue that teaching methods are only a marginal factor in the daily difficulties in schools, school’s relevance, or the development of learning skills. We compare the attitudes of two teachers with similar professional profiles. Both teach social science in conventional high schools, prepare students for final exams, and have some qualifications in educational counseling. One experiences substantial difficulties and a sense of professional helplessness, irrelevance, and failure, while the other expresses self-efficacy and comprehension of the school’s reality. It is argued that these differences of experience are deeply embedded in their different educational attitudes, which in turn encompass all aspects of school life and predetermine their educational interactions, in a way that exceeds the effects of any other differences.
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