Teacher Personality as a Factor of Pedagogical Design

Abstract

This chapter explores in-depth studies of teacher personality and its effect on pedagogical design in the framework of course design and course delivery. The research is based on quantitative and qualitative methods, including surveys, interviews, comparative analysis, and computational method. Three categories of stakeholders were embraced, students, teachers, and program administrators, with a total of 382 respondents. The research was mapped out in four phases: two synchronous and two asynchronous. The research questions were: (1) What teacher qualities account for successful pedagogical design? and (2) What correlation exists between each of the revealed teacher qualities and pedagogical design? The findings included a set of eleven key teacher qualities nominated by stakeholders: responsibility, sociability, industriousness, goal-orientation, creativity, punctuality, attentiveness, pro-activeness, fairness, empathy, and exactingness. The authors demonstrate and illustrate that these qualities are reflected in both course design and course delivery, and could thus be a subject of formation during both a teacher’s pre-service and in-service periods. Further research perspectives are highlighted, such as approaches to the evaluation of teacher performance, including 360-degree feedback; designing a course that is closely connected to a teacher’s qualities; and shaping a teacher’s personality as a factor of pedagogical design.