A study of MBTI teacher personality types in successful school-based management schools

Kathryn May Harms, Marquette University

Abstract

Problem. Teachers are being given a greater voice in making decisions which affect the school. As the principles of school based management and shared decision-making become increasingly popular, a knowledge base is needed to determine optimum teacher characteristics and skills which contribute to the success of effective school based management schools. Effective school based management schools were identified through school district data and verified by the Teacher Perceptions of Our School's Effectiveness (TPOSE) survey written by the author of this study. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was used to determine which personality variables were available in successful (most effective) school based management schools as contrasted with those available in unsuccessful (least effective) school based management schools. Comparisons were made between the successful and unsuccessful elementary schools, as well as with previously collected data from a general population of elementary school teachers. Procedures. Fourteen school based management schools from a large metropolitan school district were selected using the effective schools criteria. The successful and unsuccessful schools were chosen based on two objectively quantifiable variables identified in effective schools research, (1) high vs. low student achievement and (2) low vs. high teacher turnover (faculty stability). Teachers from eleven of the schools participated by completing a survey developed by the researcher (TPOSE), the MBTI and a short demographic survey. Results. Results of the TPOSE verified that there were differences in the two types of schools identified. TPOSE scores from the teachers in elementary schools identified as successful were significantly higher than those from teachers in the unsuccessful schools. The TPOSE scores did not correlate significantly with personality variables nor with years of experience. The MBTI personality variables available to the successful schools did not differ significantly from the personality variables available to unsuccessful schools nor from the personality variables available traditionally in elementary schools.

Recommended Citation

Harms, Kathryn May, "A study of MBTI teacher personality types in successful school-based management schools" (1993). Dissertations (1962 - 2010) Access via Proquest Digital Dissertations. AAI9411518.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations/AAI9411518

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