PREFERENCES OF PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS FOR CHARACTERISTICS DESIRED IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER CANDIDATES
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the perceptions of elementary school principals and teachers from Essex County, New Jersey Public Schools with respect to the extent of their preferences concerning selected characteristics they desired teacher candidates to possess. The principals' and teachers' preferences for characteristics they desired teacher candidates to possess were studied with regard to the five pedagogical dimensions of: (1) teacher biographical experiences, and the sub-dimensions of: (a) age, (b) sex, (c) ethnicity, (d) marital status, (e) residence, and (f) years of teaching experience; (2) teacher training experiences and the sub-dimensions of: (a) grade level taught, (b) locale of prior teaching, (c) type of university attended, (d) undergraduate grade-point-average, (e) extra-curricular activities, and (f) extent of formal education; (3) teacher social attitudes and the sub-dimensions of: (a) teacher attitudes toward pupils, (b) teacher attitudes toward fellow teachers, and (c) teacher attitudes toward principals; (4) teacher personal properties and the sub-dimensions of: (a) teacher locus of control and (b) teacher self-concept; and (5) teacher classroom behaviors and the sub-dimensions of: (a) teacher warmth, (b) teacher organization, and (c) teacher originality. Moreover, this study sought to ascertain whether significant relationships existed between the responses of elementary school principals and teachers concerning the extent of their preferences for characteristics they desired teacher candidates to possess with regard to each of the five pedagogical dimensions, each respective sub-dimension, and each of the following variables: (a) experience in position and (b) level of formal education. The subjects of this study included 84 elementary school principals and 291 elementary school teachers from Essex County, New Jersey Public Schools. The materials employed in this study included the Teacher Preference Questionnaire I which was completed by principals and the Teacher Preference Questionnaire II which was completed by teachers. The Teacher Preference Questionnaire was designed to identify preferred characteristics in teacher candidates as perceived by principals and teachers. Both instruments contained the same 74 items and were constructed by the investigator. A Personal Data Section was included in both instruments to collect information from the respondent groups. The following findings and conclusions seemed justified: (1) Principals and teachers perceived the factors of prior teaching experience and undergraduate grade-point-average as being more relevant to the teacher selection process than the age, sex, ethnicity, and marital status of the teacher candidate. (2) The majority response of no preference by principals and teachers for the ethnicity of a teacher candidate indicated that the concept of affirmative action was being considered in the teacher selection process. (3) Principals and teachers expressed a preference for a teacher candidate whose undergraduate grade-point-average was outstanding or very good. (4) Principals perceived more favorably than teachers candidates who were child-centered, positively oriented toward their peers, and amenable to supervision. These preferences supported the research of Wasickso (1978) and Milgram (1979) who found these characteristics to be conducive to good teaching. (5) Principals preferred more favorably than teachers an applicant who possessed an internal locus of control and teachers preferred more favorably than principals an applicant with a high self-concept. (6) Principals preferred more favorably than teachers a candidate who possessed characteristics of teacher organization. In addition, principals and teachers preferred candidates who possessed characteristics of teacher warmth and teacher originality.
Subject Area
School administration
Recommended Citation
KRAMER, STEVEN, "PREFERENCES OF PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS FOR CHARACTERISTICS DESIRED IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER CANDIDATES" (1981). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8109081.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8109081
