Public trust in the teaching profession, alongside the protection of learners and their educational wellbeing, sits at the heart of GTC Scotland’s regulatory role. Central to maintaining this trust is teachers’ exercising sound professional judgment in complex and often unpredictable situations.
The Professional Standards contain 3 professional values, trust and respect, social justice and integrity. Integrity is defined in the Professional Standards as ‘the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values’. Professional judgment is inseparable from this value. It underpins how teachers interpret employer and national guidance alongside professional standards, make decisions, and act ethically in the best interest of learners.
Teaching is complex relational and intellectual work that requires effective ethical reasoning, while managing a range of pressures in time sensitive situations. As a teacher, you will employ professional judgment continually, in planning learning, responding to learners’ wellbeing and educational needs, assessing progress, and navigating professional responsibilities.
Professional judgment and decision making
The Professional Standards embed the concept of professional judgment within expectations of professional practice. Teachers are expected to analyse and define situations clearly, know how and when to make decisions, and use appropriate evidence to inform those decisions. This highlights professional judgment as the process of making contextual, evidence-informed decisions.
Humans are complex and teaching is situational. You need to understand the uniqueness of those in your school community so you can anticipate needs and respond appropriately using ethical reasoning. Some situations may require immediate action; others allow time for reflection and professional dialogue.
Professional judgment is particularly evidenced in assessment. Teachers are expected to apply professional judgment to evidence gathered, to inform assessment, interpreting that evidence in context. This reinforces the idea that judgment is both analytical and interpretive, grounded in professional expertise and learner centred.
Professional judgment and leadership of learning
Teaching is a human endeavour built on relationships and trust. As Professor Gert Biesta said at our Annual Lecture in 2023, “educational relationships matter because without teachers and students together, there would be no education.” Professional judgment is strengthened through these relationships and through reflective, collaborative practice.
Reaching out to colleagues for support and challenge is especially important when navigating critical or ethical situations.
Depending on your role, you may also be required to exercise professional judgment in relation to other teachers. For example, headteachers supporting someone working towards full registration must make judgments against the Professional Standards for Teachers, ensuring that the standards are met.
Ultimately, professional judgment sits at the heart of teacher professionalism, enabling teachers to interpret standards, apply guidance and act with integrity in the best interests of learners and the teaching profession.
Watch our Professional ethics in teaching video and read Professor Gert Biesta’s ethics provocation: Ethics and the teaching profession
