Investigations of Personal and Social Characteristics of Teachers

Abstract

In line with the desire to bring before readers of this section accounts of major studies which are under way in the field of teacher education, David Ryans, well known for his continuing research on the qualifications of teachers, was invited to report on his recent work. Studies such as those described here represent fundamental research; they con tribute richly to our understanding of the teaching process as an expression of teacher personality, and subsequently to our ability to sense needs, define goals, and improve methods in the better prepara tion, selection, and guidance of teachers. Douglas E. Scates.

Effects of category prototypes on performance-rating accuracy.

“…In a 6-year study, Ryans used classroom observation, student input obtained from critical incidents, paper-and-pencil inventories, and surveys to identify traits and behaviors descriptive of effective teachers. The 71 traits used in this pilot study were a randomly chosen subset of those uncovered by Ryans (1960). The chosen sample was large enough to constitute a representative subset.…”

“…The other half rated how well the traits portrayed an ineffective teacher. A list of traits was drawn from Ryans' (1960) study of teacher qualities. In a 6-year study, Ryans used classroom observation, student input obtained from critical incidents, paper-and-pencil inventories, and surveys to identify traits and behaviors descriptive of effective teachers.…”