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<p>Impostor syndrome, persistent self-doubt despite evidence of competence, is widely reported in education, yet its ethical significance remains undertheorised within ethics education. This article reframes impostor syndrome not merely as a psychological challenge, but as a moral issue embedded in institutional hierarchies, cultural expectations, and teacher preparation practices. Drawing on virtue ethics and the ethics of care, and grounded in insights from Kuwait’s educational context, the paper argues that ethics education must address the emotional and relational dimensions of teacher identity formation. By exposing how the hidden curriculum equates confidence with competence and penalises vulnerability, the article advocates for a reimagining of ethics education that cultivates moral reflection, cultural responsiveness, and collective care. It concludes that impostorism should be understood not as a private failing, but as a systemic ethical tension that calls for institutional recognition and reform in ethics education, especially in contexts where academic elitism and cultural modesty shape professional self-concept.</p>

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The hidden ethics of competence: Why impostor syndrome must be named in teacher education

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月29日

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  • Wafaa R. Almulaifi

摘要

Impostor syndrome, persistent self-doubt despite evidence of competence, is widely reported in education, yet its ethical significance remains undertheorised within ethics education. This article reframes impostor syndrome not merely as a psychological challenge, but as a moral issue embedded in institutional hierarchies, cultural expectations, and teacher preparation practices. Drawing on virtue ethics and the ethics of care, and grounded in insights from Kuwait’s educational context, the paper argues that ethics education must address the emotional and relational dimensions of teacher identity formation. By exposing how the hidden curriculum equates confidence with competence and penalises vulnerability, the article advocates for a reimagining of ethics education that cultivates moral reflection, cultural responsiveness, and collective care. It concludes that impostorism should be understood not as a private failing, but as a systemic ethical tension that calls for institutional recognition and reform in ethics education, especially in contexts where academic elitism and cultural modesty shape professional self-concept.