Những tương quan đến hoạt động giảng dạy của giảng viên Cơ sở cho việc xây dựng chương trình nâng cao tại Đại học Thái Nguyên

i






Southern luzon State University
Republic of Philippines

Thai Nguyen University
Socialist Republic of Vietnam

CORRELATES OF TEACHERS’ PERFORMANCE:
BASIS FOR ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
AT THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY


A Dissertation Presented to
The Faculty of Graduate School
Southern Luzon State University, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines
In collaboration with
Thai Nguyen University, Socialist Republic of Vietnam


In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Management

by
NGUYEN DINH YEN (KAKA)
March 2014
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
With sincere thanks for the encouragement, guidance and unselfish sharing of their
knowledge, time, effort and skills, and for untiring motivation that led to the completion of
this study, the researcher acknowledges the following:
Dr. Cecilia N. Gascon, President of the Southern Luzon State University in the
Republic of the Philippines, for her untiring effort and belief that this collaboration is
possible;
Dr. Dang Kim Vui, President of Thai Nguyen University for allowance the training
for dotor of philosophy in educotinal managenent in international training center Thai Nguyen
University;
Dr.Apolonia A. Espinosa, her adviser, for her generous assistance, invaluable advice,
guidance, constructive comments thereby making this paper a scholarly work;
Panel of experts whose constructive criticisms led the researcher to making this effort
a true scholarly work;
Mr.Nicanor L. Guinto, for extending his assistance in ensuring consistency and
comprehensibility of this study;
The respondents for their patience and cooperation in answering the questionnaire.
The researcher‘s family, colleagues, and friends for the love and support in one way or
another, and
To those who have contributed to make this study a success


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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS iii
LIST OF TABLES v
LIST OF FIGURES vii
ABSTRACT viii
Chapter I. INTRODUCTION 1
Background of the study 4
Objectives of Study 5
Null Hypothesis 6
Significance of the Study 6
Scope and Limitations 7
Definitions of Terms 7
Chapter II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND STUDIES 10
Personal Characteristics of Teachers 10
Professional Characteristics 15
Teaching Performance 21
Conceptual Framework 23
Research Paradigm 24
Chapter III. METHODOLOGY 26
Locale of the Study 26
Research Design 26
Population and Sampling 27
Instrumentation 27
Data Gathering Procedure 28
Statistical Treatment 28
Chapter IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 31
Part I. Profile of respondents 32
Part II. Personal Characteristics and Professional Characteristics of Teachers 34
Part III. Teaching Performance 43

Table 14 44
Part IV: Correlates of teachers‘ performance 47
PROPOSED ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM TO ENHANCE TEACHERS‘
PERFORMANCE 59
OF THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL YEAR 2014-2015 59
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Chapter V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 64
Summary 64
Findings 65
Conclusions 68
Recommendations 68
REFERENCES 69
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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Respondents‘ frequency distribution by colleges 27
Table 2. Frequency and percentage distribution of the respondents as to school 31
Table 3. Profile of Students - Respondents 32
Table 4. Profile of Teachers – Respondents 33
Table 5. Weighted mean distribution of the personal characteristics of teachers
as to physical aspects 34
Table 6. Weighted mean distribution of the personal characteristics
ofteachers as to mental aspects 35
Table 7. Weighted mean distribution of the personal characteristics of teachers
as to emotional aspects 36
Table 8. Weighted mean distribution of the personal characteristics of teachers

as to social aspects 37
Table 9. Weighted mean distribution of the professional characteristics of teachers as
to teaching skills 38
Table 10. Weighted mean distribution of the professional characteristics of teachers as to
management skills 40
Table 11. Weighted mean distribution of the professional characteristics of teachers as
to evaluation skills 41
Table 12. Weighted mean distribution of the professional characteristics of teachers as
to guidance skills 42
Table 13. Weighted mean distribution of the teaching performance of teachers as to
commitment 43
Table 14. Weighted mean distribution of the teaching performance of teachers as to
knowledge of subject 44
Table 15. Weighted mean distribution of the teaching performance of teachers as to
teaching for independent learning 45
Table 16. Weighted mean distribution of the teaching performance of teachers as to 46
management of learning 46
Table 17. Students‘ regression analysis of the demographic, personal and professional
characteristics of teachers as to commitment 47
Table 18. Students‘ regression analysis of the demographic, personal and professional
characteristicsof teachers as to knowledge of subject 48
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Table 19. Students‘ regression analysis of the demographic, personal and professional
characteristics of teachers as to teaching for independent learning 50
Table 20. Students‘ regression analysis of the demographic, personal and professional
characteristics of teachers as to management of learning 51
Table 21. Teachers‘ regression analysis of the demographic, personal and professional
characteristics of teachers as to commitment 52

Table 22. Regression analysis of the demographic, personal and professional characteristics of
teachers as to knowledge of subject 53
Table 23. Regression analysis of the demographic, personal and professional characteristics of
teachers as to teaching for independent learning 55
Table 24. Regression analysis of the demographic, personal and professional
characteristics of teachers as to management of learning 57





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LIST OF FIGURES

Fig.1. Variables in the study on correlates of teachers‘ performance,
basis for an enhancement program 24
Fig. 2.Location of respondent colleges in TNU,
Thai Nguyen City, Thai Nguyen Province, Viet Nam 26

viii


ABSTRACT

TITLE OF RESEARCH
Correlates of Teachers’ Performance: Basis for
enhancement program at Thai Nguyen University
RESEARCHER
NGUYEN DINH YEN (KAKA)
DEGREE CONFERRED
Doctor of Educational Management
NAME/ADDRESS OF
INSTITUTION
Southern Luzon State University
and Thai Nguyen University
ADVISER
Dr. Apolonia A. Espinosa
YEAR WRITTEN
2013-2014
This study generally attempted to determine the correlates of teaching performance
with a viewpoint of developing an enhancement program at College of Thai Nguyen
University (TNU) for school year 2013, 2014. Specifically, it sought to find out the
demographic profile of the respondents as to age, gender, civil status, educational attainment,
position; determine the factors that affect teachers‘ performance as to personal characteristics
(physical, mental, emotional, and social) and professional characteristics (teaching skills,

guidance skills, classroom management skills, and assessment skills); determine teachers‘
performance as to commitment, knowledge of the subject, teaching for independent learning,
and management of learning; ascertain which of the above-mentioned factors predict teachers‘
performance; and develop an enhancement program based from the result of the study. This
research is a descriptive correlational study which was limited only at TNU as locale since
respondents were chosen purposively to include the total population of 145 teachers and
administrators of TNU, and 738 randomly selected students from the different colleges of
TNU, who were asked to answer a researcher-constructed questionnaire. The study used
arithmetic mean and regression analysis to examine the correlates of teacher‘s performance at
Thai Nguyen University. In the light of the finding, the following conclusions are drawn: The
student-respondents in the study, which comprised the greatest number, were single, college
students whose age ranged from 18-25 years old, and who equally represented both genders.
The teacher-respondents in this study were mostly married, female teachers whose age ranged
from 23 to 53 years old and who mostly possess MA/MS degrees. The personal and
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professional characteristics of teachers were generally viewed by respondents to affect
teaching performance. Respondents viewed the performance of teachers as very satisfactory.
The factors that predict teachers‘ performance as to commitment were mostly attributed to
their professional characteristics; knowledge of subject matter, mostly relate in their personal
and professional skills and their demographic profile; teaching for independent learning,
mostly relate in their professional characteristics and demographic profile; and management
of learning, mostly relate in their personal and professional characteristics. Finally, the
enhancement program is ready for implementation. In light of the findings and conclusions, it
was recommended that teachers should consider making personal and professional
development a top priority to ensure quality in their teaching. The Thai Nguyen University
administration should adapt or adopt the enhancement program developed in this study for its
teaching safeguard the students‘ and the community‘s right to quality education. Likewise,
Teachers and administrators, not only in TNU, should help one another to periodically assess

teaching performance and its correlates to keep track of potential influencing factors that may
induce or discourage quality teaching. As a final point, future researchers may pursue a
similar study, following or modifying the methodologies of this study in their own areas or
Universities to aid teachers in reflecting on how they can improve personally and
professionally.

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Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
Education is the sector that plays a big role in shaping the destiny of people in the
future. It serves as a social instrument that provides knowledge to people in schools and
colleges not merely for the sake of facilitating continuity of culture butalso rationally
change the material foundations of civilization. Education should help in improving the
studentsand introduce ideas and values that will arm them with capabilities and
skillsneeded in their work.
Higher education has several purposes - and one of the most important is to
promote citizenship. The second purpose is preparing people to be good human beings, to
be good members of families, to be the kind of parents that create responsible families and
communities. The other purpose involves educating people with world-competitive skills.
Having said these, the teacher is the most important factor in the field of education.
Teachers develop performance style characteristic to their ways of relating to the world,
perceptually as well as cognitively. A person is, therefore, likely to act in a way that
maximizes the use of his aptitudes. Similarly, teacher‘s positive attitude towards teaching
and higher aspiration level determines his positive perception of the environments.
An effective teacher development design should have an exhaustive measure of
these factors so as to foster necessary skills and attitudes amongst prospective teachers.
The exclusive weight age to knowledge alone should be dispensed in favor of more activity
oriented programs which have direct bearing on actual classroom situation (UNESCO, 2002).

Teaching is the conscious planning and management of a situation in which a
learner tries to overcome the learning problems. It should comprise a series of actions
intended to facilitate learning as teachingfor itis a multifaceted set of activities. The
teachers, therefore, need to be a master of the subject matter as well as an expert in the way
content isdelivered across a potentially diverse set of students. Thus knowing the ‗how‘ of
teaching is as important as the what of teaching.
As teaching is considered to be a complex activity, the scholars and researchers in
the field of education have since embarked on exploring into and analyzing the
teaching phenomenon. However it is universally recognized that teachers‘ instructional
performance plays a key role in students‘ learning and academic achievement
(Usop, Askandar, Kadtong, and Usop, 2013).
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Performance is actions of a person or group during the task. Job performance is the
product of a combination of an individual‘s motivation and ability. In 1976 the term
students evaluation of teachers‘ performance first gained familiarity in the ERIC system.
From 1976-1984 there were 1055 studies on students‘ evaluation of teachers performance.
These studies mostly found out that the performance of the teacher whether she is effective
or not effective is not usually measured by the quality of the students she has produced.
More often the teacher is blamed if the students failed to manifest the expected behavior
and the kind of learning they gained during the period of schooling. This quality learning
refers to the performance of the students in the academic and their chosen field of
specialization in the school and even outside. Moreover, if the students were able to land a
good job and become successful, then they were given quality teaching and learned with
laurels from her mentors with patience for years. This is common baseline of teachers'
effectiveness in the world of education. According to Lardizabal, Bustos, Bucu, &Tangco,
(1991), teaching is effective to the extent that a competent teacher acts in ways that are
favorable to the development of a desirable personality. This competency of the teachers
will create a long lasting impact on the part of students. And to the teachers, they are

effective if they are capable of bringing about a desired behavioral change in the students.
In response to the No Child Left Behind law and the need for ―highly qualified‖
teachers, state education departments, institutions of higher learning, and school divisions
around the world have been struggling to set criteria that ensure highly qualified educators
to man the educational landscape (Thompson, Greer, and Greer, 2004). In a study that
examined empirical studies of teacher quality and qualifications, Rice (2003) found five
broad categories of teacher attributes that appear to contribute to teacher quality: ―(1)
experience, (2) preparation programs and degrees, (3) type of certification, (4) coursework
taken in preparation for the profession, and (5) teachers‘ own test scores. The study of
Wayne and Youngs (2003) also dealt with teacher quality which examined the
characteristics of effective teachers and their connection to student effectiveness. They
established that ―students learn more from teachers with certain characteristics….Teachers
differ greatly in their effectiveness, but teachers with and without different qualifications
differ only a little‖ (p. 100-101).
Berry (2002), as cited by Thompson, Greer, and Greer, 2004) found out that studies
about teaching performance appear to have a ―singular focus on content knowledge‖ (p.1)
despite the notion that teacher qualities are equally important in the profession. Because of
3


this, he stated that educators must also know ―how to organize and teach their lessons in
ways that assure diverse students can learn those subjects…Highly qualified teachers don‘t
just teach well-designed, standards-based lessons: They know how and why their students
learn…‖ (p.2).This is perhaps why former studies would argue that good teachers are
characterized as caring, supportive, concernedabout the welfare of students, knowledgeable
about their subject matter, able toget along with parents…and genuinely excited about the
work that they do.
Citing their study on characteristics of favorite teachers they asked at the start of
the class, Thompson, Greer, and Greer (2004) found out that the personal characteristics of
effective teachers revolve around an encompassing theme of caring. Noddings (2001)

clarified that caring is demonstrated in numerous ways including being attentive and
receptive. Noddingshighlighted, ―A caring teacher is someone who has demonstrated that
she [he] can establish, more or less regularly, relations of care in a wide variety of
situations…[and] will want the best for that person‖ (p. 100-101). The relationship of
teacher and student, giving and receiving care, is a continuous one, lasting over time and
involving intimate and personal understanding. In addition, Noddings connects caring with
preparation and organization. Students recognize caring in teachers who are prepared and
organized. This philosophy of caring permeates the actions of teachers students remember best.
There are many factors that influence the teachers‘ job performance such as
personal characteristics (Love of learning, Compassionate, Honesty, Patience, Sense of
Humor, Creative/Flexible, Enthusiasm) and professional characteristics (Instructional
Skills, Classroom Management Skills, Assessment Skills)etc.Swarts, White, Stuck, and
Patterson (1990) assessed teaching performance on five teaching functions: instructional
presentations, instructional monitoring, instructional feedback, management of
instructional time and management of students‘ behavior.
Ferris, Bergin, and Wayne (1988) identified teachers' job performance on seven
performance dimensions. These were preparation and planning, effectiveness in presenting
subject matter, poise, relations with students, self-improvement, relations with other staff
and relations with parents & community.
Jahangir (1988) judged the performance of teachers on four categories of
teaching behavior, namely, intellect, teachers‘ personality, teaching techniques and
interaction with students. Riaz (2000) measured teachers‘ performance on factors such as
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teaching competence demonstrated, motivational skills, teachers‘ attitudetoward students
and fairness in grading.
Background of the study
The factors affecting the performance of teachers are of two types, the external
factors and the internal factors. There are many external factors affecting how a teacher

makes decisions in the classroom. While it is difficult to attach any order of significance to
these factors, because every teacher is different, they will include to some degree, the
expectations of the community, the particular school system in which the teacher is
employed, the school itself, the grade policies, the parents and the students. Many of the
expectations from these external factors will appear conflicting and it is the classroom
teachers who weld these into a workable framework while integrating a range of internal
factors. Individual beliefs about teachers how students learn most effectively, how to teach
in particular discipline or key learning area. The match between individuals beliefs about
teachers are best teaching practice and whether they can personally meet these demands in
the classroom is crucial. The teachers own preferred ways of thinking, acting and seeing
the world, learners and learning will also be affected by the availability of resources both
human and physical (Groundwater and Cornu, 2002)
Thai Nguyen University (TNU) was established by Decree No. 31 dated on April
4
th
1994 of the Government on the basis of the arrangement, reorganization of the
university and vocational training under the Ministry of Education and Training in Thai
Nguyen. Currently TNU consists of seven universities, one college and two faculties, a
defense education center, a learning resource center, publisher, hospital and high university
for practicing the functional and scientific units for training and research.
TNU is implementing the guiding ideology of the party expressed through
resolutions of the eighth National Party Congress, which is to build training centers for
research education and high-quality technology transferring in the region. For over 10
years, the consistent policy of the Party and the State is to build and develop TNU and in
fact, TNU has demonstrated the role, its position in the Vietnamese higher education
system, particularly with the midlands and mountainous areas of northern Vietnam.
Currently, at TNU there are 2587 teaching staff, including 230 doctors, 2
professors, 65 associate professors, over 780 masters and 200 PhD students, percentage of
lecturers on the payroll process postgraduate degree from universities accounted for 66%.
5

Little research appears to have been carried out on factors that improve teachers‘
job performance, especially at Thai Nguyen University. The present study was thus
carried out to judge teachers‘ performance on the factors of personal characteristics
and professional characteristics. The present study will address the urgent need for base
information to improve the teaching learning process. It is believed that if the factors that
influence teachers‘ performance at higher education level are controlled, the quality of
education and teaching learning process as a whole would become more effective.
Objectives of Study
This study determined the correlates of teaching performance with a viewpoint of
developing an enhancement program at College of Thai Nguyen University (TNU) for
school year 2013, 2014. Specifically, it sought to address the following:
1. Find out the demographic profile of the respondents as to
1.1 Age,
1.2 Gender,
1.3 Civil status,
1.4 Educational attainment,
1.5 Position;
2. Determine the factors that affect teachers‘ performance as to:
2.1. Personal characteristics:
2.1.1. Physical,
2.1.2. Mental,
2.1.3. Emotional, and
2.1.4. Social;
2.2. Professional characteristics:
2.2.1. Teaching skills,
2.2.2. Guidance skills,
2.2.3. ClassroomManagement skills, and
2.2.4. Assessment skills.

3. Determine teachers‘ performance as to:
3.1. Commitment,
3.2. Knowledge of the subject,
3.3. Teaching for independent learning,
3.4. Management of learning;
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4. Ascertain which of the above-mentioned factors predict teachers‘
performance.
5. Develop an enhancement program based from the result of the study.
Null Hypothesis
1. None of the above mentioned factors predict teachers‘ performance.
Significance of the Study
This study was conducted in hope that the findings will be useful for students,
teachers, deans and educational planners of Thai Nguyen University, and future
researchers who wish to embark on the same topic.
Studentsof TNU. This study will benefit them more importantly because the
findings of this study will aid the administration of Thai Nguyen University to draft
appropriate actions to ensure that students are taught by teachers who are qualified in their
respective fields. Eventually, they will be confident that they will graduate with the
appropriate skills and competencies in their professions because the teachers who taught
them have been holistically conditioned to be excellent in their fields.
Teachersat TNU. As teachers are usually overwhelmed by academic workload and
personal life every day, they tend to forget about reflecting whether their performance
could still productively address the expectations of the community on them. Studies such
as this one will not only let them keep track on what seems to be affecting/ influencing
their performance as teachers, it will likewise give them opportunities to explore
possibilities to enhance themselves with the aid of the TNU administration.
Deans and Educational Planners.Since performance of teachers in teaching and

that of students inside and outside of the University reflects much on the kind of
leadership, priorities, and idealisms of supervisors, educational planners, and the
University administration in general, studies such as this one will enable them to keep
track on the performance of the people – the teaching staff - who have the collective power
of making a difference in the University‘s profile. Through this study, they will be
enlightened on how improvements can be done to ensure the upward movement of the
TNU community not only in Vietnam, but also the world.
Future Researchers.This study can serve as inspiration for researchers who wish to
conduct a similar study in their respective institutions. They may use the results of the
study as baseline information, or could be guided by its methodologies and strategies to
7


pursue a similar path in studying about their teaching force.
Scope and Limitations
This correlational study is primarily focused on finding the predictors of teachers‘
performance at TNU with an end view of developing an enhancement program out of the
results gathered.Thecorrelates of teachers‘ performance as to commitment, knowledge of
the subject, teaching for independent learning, and management of learning among
demographic profile of the respondents as to age, gender, civil status, educational
attainment, and position, factors that affect teachers‘ performance as to personal
characteristics (physical, mental, emotional, social), and professional characteristics
(teaching skills, guidance skills, classroom management skills,evaluation skills) were
determined.
The study was limited only at TNU as locale since respondents were chosen
purposively to include the total population of teachers and administrators of TNU, and
randomly selected students from the different colleges of TNU, who were asked to answer
a researcher-constructed questionnaire. In case of analytical tools, the study has used
arithmetic mean, regression analysis to examine the correlates of teacher‘s performance at
Thai Nguyen university.

Definitions of Terms
The following are significantly used in this paper and are hereby define
conceptually an operationally for better comprehensibility.
Commitment is a specific area aimed to assess the performance of teachers. Such
is concerned with their concern on students‘ capability to understand/learn lessons, making
the learning process a cooperative effort, availability to students, coming to class on time,
good grooming, keeping accurate records of students‘ performance, among others.
Correlates refer to the factors that predict teaching performance of teachers at Thai
Nguyen University as assessed by the students, administrators, and teachers themselves.
Correlates of teaching performance were determined through regression analysis between
demographic profile, personal and professional characteristics, and instructional skills of
teachers.
Demographic Profile of respondents in this study pertains to their age, gender,
civil status, educational attainment, and position.
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EmotionalAspect is a specific area aimed to assess the personal skills of teachers.
Such aspect is concerned with their valuing of feelings and morale, fairness, power and
conviction, integrity and dignity, composure, patience, attention to emotional as well as
educational problems of students, interest and curiosity, and emotional soundness.
Enhancement Program is a set of planned activities based on a given benchmark
aimed at improving the quality of product or service. In this study, the enhancement
program refers to the set of activities that the researcher developed out of the correlates of
teaching performance identified in this paper.
Evaluation Skills is a specific area aimed to assess the professional skills of
teachers. Such skills are concerned with their giving of timely and specific feedback,
keeping of assessment records, use of specific criteria for the accurate evaluation, selection
and utilization of different types of tests, and submission of records, among others.
Guidance Skills is a specific area aimed to assess the professional skills of

teachers. Such skills is concerned with their showing of interest in students‘ problems and
needs, provision for the maximum involvement of students, helping students develop self-
discipline, and sympathy for the needs of individual students, among others.
Knowledge of subject matter is a specific area aimed to assess the performance of
teachers. Such is concerned with their mastery of the subject matter, sharing of
information, integration of the subject to practical situations, and demonstration of up-to-
date knowledge, among others.
Management of Learning is a specific area aimed to assess the performance of
teachers. Such is concerned with their provision of chances for students‘ participation,
taking different roles, modification of learning-teaching situations, and making use of
instructional materials, among others.
Management Skills is a specific area aimed to assess the professional skills of
teachers. Such skills are concerned with their identification of specific needs, interests, and
capacities of individual students, identification of specific learning tasks, evidence of
mastery of subject matter, provision of varied learning experiences, selection, preparation
and use of instructional materials, preparation of the day‘s learning activities, starting
learning activities, administration of tests, returning corrected papers, and achieving teaching
objectives, among others.
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Mental Aspect is a specific area aimed to assess the personal skills of teachers.
Such aspect is concerned with their planning of activities, insights on classroom situations,
critical thinking, fairness and equality, resolution of potential difficulties, attention to
cognitive needs of students, possession of a sense of humor, possession of mental health
and stability, and sound decision-making.
Personal Characteristics in this paper refer to teacher‘s physical, mental,
emotional, and social aspects.
Physical Aspect is a specific area aimed to assess the personal skills of teachers.
Such aspect is concerned with their physical appearance, taste in the selection and wearing

of clothes, choice of accessories, smiles and eye contact, communication skills, voice, self-
confidence in her well-being, physical health, and mannerisms.
Professional Characteristics of teachers in this study pertain to their teaching
skills, guidance skills, classroom management skills, evaluation skills.
Social Aspectis a specific area aimed to assess the personal skills of teachers. Such
aspect is concerned with their understanding of the nature of students, dealing with
different kinds of students, sympathy for the students, welfare for others, discipline,
morality, and manner of commending efforts for work done.
Teaching for Independent Learning is a specific area aimed to assess the
performance of teachers. Such is concerned with their use of different teaching strategies,
recognition of students‘ individual performance, guiding students to attain course
objectives, and helping students realize that they are responsible for their classroom performance,
among others.
Teaching Performance refers to the ability of teachers to perform tasks expected
from them in the academe based on particular criteria set by different institutions. In this
study, teaching performance is evaluated though four criteria namely commitment,
knowledge of the subject, teaching for independent learning, and management of learning.
Teaching Skills is a specific area aimed to assess the professional skills of
teachers. Such skills is concerned with their identification of specific needs, interests, and
capacities of individual students, identification of specific learning tasks, evidence of
mastery of subject matter, provision varied learning experiences, and selection, preparation
and use of instructional materials, among others.
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Chapter II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND STUDIES
As the present study aimed at discovering about the factors affecting the
performance of teachers at colleges at TNU, the literature related to the study is organized
below. This review will first discuss about concepts relevant to personal characteristics of

teachers and professional characteristics of teachers. Afterwards, studies on teaching
performance will be underscored. Finally, a research paradigm will show the interaction of
variables in the studypresentedthrough a diagram.
Personal Characteristics of Teachers
Personal characteristics are the particular combination of emotional, attitudinal, and
behavioral response patterns of an individual. Different personality theorists present their
own definitions of the word based on their theoretical positions.
The teacher is the organizer and controller of the classrooms. He builds future
citizens of the country. As he molds the students, so the country will be molded. From this
point of view, a lot of responsibilities lie with the teacher to execute in his day to day
activities. But teachers must be properly equipped to deal with students. They
should develop necessary knowledge, skill, abilities and attitude to perform their duties
effectively.
More than just a wealth of information is required to be an effective teacher. The
task of the teacher is to teach students, not solely to convey information. Therefore, the
value of teachers and the educationthey offer becomes manifest in their ability to connect
with students on a personal level. This is why factors of personality of the teacher such as
physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics are taken into consideration in this study.
Physical Aspects
Sex, strength, beauty, and ugliness contribute to personality for they suggest social
standards and attitudes as explained by Sanchez (1998). She further stated that grace or
awkwardness of movement, sturdiness of hearing, the sharp or velvet voice, grooming, the
ready smile and the gift of silence are items that enter into the total composition of
someone‘s personality.
In relation to the teaching profession, Hamermesh (2013) stated that the teacher‘s
physical attribute is a contributory factor to their rating in evaluation. Although normally
11


regarded as a non-important matter in teaching, Hamermesh‘s study proved how students

may be slanted in assessing their teacher‘s performance because they also take notice of
the teacher‘s looks as determiner of being given a good or bad rating.
Lardizabal, Bustos, Bucu, and Tangco (1991) revealed a similar finding regarding
teachers‘ personal characteristics rated highly by the students. They disclosed that pleasing
personal appearance, manner, courtesy, and pleasant voice ranked first as characteristics
expected of a teacher.
Barr (1958 cited in Orstein, 1990) recognizes ―attractiveness‖ of the teacher as one
of the characteristics important for successful teaching. To measure the teacher‘s
attractiveness, his/her dress, physique, freedom from physical defects, personal magnetism,
neatness, cleanliness, posture, personal charm, and appearance should be taken into
account.
The earlier statements were supported by Aquino (2003) when he mentioned that
good grooming and poise contribute to becoming a superior teacher. ―A tasteful
appearance accompanied by grace of manner… can be important assets in the classroom‖
(p. 443). He pointed out that this does not only apply to female teachers, but also to the
males. However, he argued that good grooming does not equate to expensive wardrobe. He
explained that the clothes teachers wear can be anything that suit their personality.
In this regard, Clavo (2005) cited seven grooming checklist to serve as guide in
determining whether a person‘s physical characteristics fit social expectations.
1. Appearance – when you look good, you feel good. Make sure you look groomed
and neat. If you were a book, would someone want to read more?
2. Clothes and Accessories – should be conservative and neutral than wild and loud.
Your clothes are your packaging and should not take attention away from the product.
3. Non-verbal communication – it sometimes conveys a stronger message than
verbal communication. When you slouch, whether sitting or standing, you‘re saying
volumes about you and your confidence level.
4. Eye contact and smiles – it can indicate a confident upbeat attitude. This is a
good opportunity to demonstrate your social and interpersonal skills.
5. Handshake – this sends a strong tactile message. Whether your hands are not
sweaty or cold or clammy, you can try some tricks to control the temperature.

12


6. Voice and volume of speech – it conveys a strong impression. A firm voice will
show confidence.
7. Vocabulary – it reveals your communication skills and ability to interact with
people. The words you choose will say something about you, as well as your knowledge.
The preceding statements suggest how good grooming on the part of the teacher
can say a lot about his/her performance as perceived by students. It is thus imperative for
teachers to maintain general physical well-being inside and outside of the classroom.
Mental Aspects
Among other things, the teacher‘s mental capacity to teach the subject he/she is
teaching is perhaps the characteristic that should be most basic of the teacher. As such,
he/she should be able to manage the cognitive demands of the curriculum and the learning
needs of the students. This is why Lardizabal, et al. (1991) noted that before a teacher
becomes one, he/she must undergo several years of pre-service training to master his/her
subject matter, be adept with professional education, and revitalize his/her understanding
of basic knowledge. They further explained:
In the subject matter education courses, the prospective teacher masters the field or
fields of knowledge which he chooses to teach. In the general education courses, he studies
different areas of knowledge outside his special subject field. He gets a broader outlook of
his specialized field. In the professional education courses, the prospective teacher gets to
know and understand the educational and physiological bases of the teaching-learning
process as well as the methods and techniques of teaching. (p. 9)
As such, his/her overall capacity as a teacher is honed during the pre-service
training. His/her mental capacity as a teacher, as noted by Clavo (2005), will be
determined by the way he/she talks, the range of ideas he/she expresses, and the things
he/she talks about, as well as his/her mental alertness.
Aquino (2005) similarly emphasized that sound mental health with above-average
intelligence is one of the desirable characteristics of superior teachers. He explained that

for the teacher to convey subject-knowledge to the students, he/she must grasp and
understand the topic completely. He/she must be willing to seek professional development
through seminars, trainings, and graduate studies to further develop his/her mental
capacity.
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University of Toledo, cited by Ornstein (1990), listed mental aspects as a personal
characteristics of the teacher in their competency indicators under instructional strategies.
They pointed out that demonstration of problem solving skills, evidence of transition and
sequence of instruction, and evidence of knowledge in the subject area are contributory to
evaluating teacher‘s desirable characteristics in terms of the mental aspect.
Emotional Aspect
Teaching is a profession that not only requires overall mental and physical well-
being. As teachers deal with students and other stakeholders in the community, they are
similarly expected to possess positive emotional health that is essential in confronting
everyday challenges that goes with it.
This fact is echoed in Hargreaves‘ (1998) paper on the emotional practice of
teaching. He pointed out that good teaching demands positive emotion. ―It is not just a
matter of knowing one‘s subject, being efficient, having the correct competences, or
learning all the right techniques. Good teachers… are emotional, passionate beings who
connect with their students and fill their work and their classes with pleasure, creativity, challenge
and joy‖ (p. 835).
Hargreaves further noted four points relating to the teacher‘s relationship with
his/her students. They are as follows:
1. Teaching is an emotional practice.
2. Teaching and learning involve emotional understanding.
3. Teaching is a form of emotional labor.
4. Teachers‘ emotions are inseparable from their moral purposes and their ability to
achieve those purpose.

Darling-Hammond, Orcutt, Strobel, Kirch, Lit, and Martin (n.d.) explained how
important emotions are in the classroom. They mentioned that first, emotions have an
impact on learning. They inspire our ability to process information and to better understand
everyday encounters. Second, learning how to manage feelings and relationships
constitutes a kind of ―emotional intelligence‖ that enables people to be successful. They
discussed that the concept of emotional intelligence can be derived from Howard
Gardner‘s multiple intelligences. For Gardner, emotional intelligence deals with
understanding oneself and others.
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Moreover, Darling-Hammond, et al. discussed how emotional state can influence students:
Our emotional state has the potential to influence our thinking Emotions can
interfere with students’ learning in several ways; including 1) limiting the capacity to
balance emotional issues with schoolwork, 2) creating anxiety specifically about
schoolwork, and 3) triggering emotional responses to classroom events. (p. 90)
The preceding points significantly explain how much emotional well-being is
integral to the teaching profession. As such, assessment of effective teaching must likewise
involve the emotional aspect.
Social Aspects
Aside from the points raised in the earlier paragraphs, there is one more aspect that
shape an ideal teacher – i.e. – social aspect. Teachers deal with students, colleagues,
parents and some members of the community. It is not surprising that research on teaching
socialization has paid considerable attention to influences on teacher learning that come
before any formal program of teacher education. The social aspects of teaching isan
interactive process that happens among students and other stakeholders. One consequence
of viewing teacher socialization as an interactive process, however, is that teachers
influence and shape the structures into which they are being socialized at the same time
that they are being shaped by a variety of forces at many levels (Zeichner and Gore, n.d.).
In his regard, Lardizabal, et al. (p. 7) enumerated personal and socialcompetencies

that are essential for teachers to possess:
1. Observes the Teacher‘s code of ethics and other pertinent rules and regulations
of the school service
2. Sets the example in moral and ethical behavior to pupils, peers and the
community.
3. Shows honesty and integrity in all his activities
3. Shows honesty and integrity in all his activities
4. Accepts and performs leadership roles competently in the school and in the
community
5. Accepts and fellowship role whenever the need arises and assumes this
intelligently
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6. Shows evidence of professional and cultural growth
7. Gets along well with pupils, the school staff, and the community without
compromising rules of propriety
8. Participates actively in cultural, professional, and other community organization
activities
9. Shows evidence of professional and cultural growth
10. Shows evidence of mental health and stability
11. Shows evidence of sound physical health
12. Shows creativity and resourcefulness in his performance
13, Prepares and submits neat and accurate reports on time.
14. Observes official time and is ready to serve beyond the call of duty when the
need arises
15. Uses free time wisely.
Professional Characteristics
Equally important with the personal characteristics of teachers is their professional
characteristics. Effectiveness in teaching is generally assessed through their instructional

competence which is considered inherent in the profession. Lardizabal et al., maintained
that ―in the Philippines, classroom teachers are rated by their supervisors to help them
improve on their teaching performance‖ (p. 6). Such areas include teaching skills, guidance
skills, management skills, and evaluation skills.
Teaching skills
In the case of teaching skills, Charles County Public Schools [CCPS] (2013) in the
United States evaluate teaching skills of teachers in their country through three criteria: (1)
selection and organization of subject matter; (2) motivation; and (3) lesson development
and implementation.
CCPS stated that evaluation of teaching skills in terms ofselection and organization of
subject matter, the teacher should have clear goals and objectives and clearly communicates them.
She should maintain compatibility with the curriculum; adapt subject matter to student
needs, interests and abilities; teach prerequisite skills; recognize the sequence in which
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skills are developed; establish relationships between content areas; and promote parental
understanding and cooperation.
In terms of motivation, the teacher is expected to develop student interest in
learning; use appropriate problem solving strategies to develop higher level thinking skills;
clearly communicate common goals to students; demonstrate sensitivity to the academic
and social needs of students; and promote student interest and participation in extra-
curricular activities.
When it comes to lesson development and implementation, CCPSrequires teachers
to appropriately allocate time, energy and resources; use teacher and student experiences
for the enrichment of content; organize daily plans as a part of a larger unit; adapt
instruction to unexpected situations; simulate student learning through varied questioning
techniques; treat student responses appropriately; comply with system policy regarding
nature and use of assignments; direct supervised study; use a variety of effective and
realistic forms of student assessment and evaluation; adapt lessons based on immediate

analysis of student responses; and develop instructional approaches to improve student test
taking skills.
Meanwhile, Lardizabal at al. identified the following statements in assessing the
teaching skills of teachers.
1. Identifies specific needs, interests, and capacities of individual pupils and
provides adequately for these
2. Analyzes and identifies specific learning tasks
3. Shows evidence of mastery of subject matter
4. Provides varied learning experiences for the development of communication, for
work, and for interpretative and other basic skills involved in the learning tasks
5. Selects, prepares, and utilizes instructional materials and aids effectively in
achieving teaching goals
6. Selects appropriate available community resources and uses these effectively in
the teaching-learning process
7. Motivates the lessons and asks questions effectively to develop critical thinking
and creativity