Chapter 1: The Importance of Authenticity in The College Classroom

Authenticity and its importance in college teaching has been a neglected area of study (Brookfield, 2006; Cranton & Carusetta, 2004; Kreber, Klampfleitner, McCune, Bayne, & Knottenbelt, 2007). Kreber, McCune, and Klampfleitner (2010) stated that authenticity is “one of the most intriguing yet least well understood constructs in the higher education teaching and learning literature” (p. 383). While the notion of the importance of living an authentic life can be traced to Aristotle (Nussbaum, 2004), a consistent definition of authenticity in college teaching seems to be lacking. Based upon the results of a qualitative study with twenty-two educators, Cranton and Carusetta (2004) defined authenticity along five categories: self, other, relationship, context, and critical reflection. The term “active engagement with students” was an element used by other authors (Knotts, Henderson, Davidson, & Swain, 2009; Lin, 2006). “Being present in the classroom” was a component of authenticity included by Dirkx (2006), Hunt (2006), and Kornelson (2006). According to Brookfield (2006),