Teachers’ Characteristics Influencing Their Individual And Collective Learning Preferences

Abstract

This study aimed at finding out the level of teachers’ individual and collective learning and analysing the influence of their personal, organizational and professional characteristics on these learning types. We collected data representing teachers’ learning behaviours and their personal ( gender, total experience, current school experience, school level, school size and school SES ) and organizational-professional characteristics ( self-efficacy , aspiration , recognition, positive climate , student oriented practices , task oriented practices and symbols-values ). A total of 340 teachers working in primary, lower secondary and secondary schools located in Aksaray province of Turkey, comprised the sample. We analysed data using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, two-step clustering analysis and binary logistic regression. We found that teachers were overwhelmingly individual learners and aspiration is the most powerful professional characteristic affecting teachers’ learning preferences. Beside aspiration, self-efficacy and student oriented practices were also able to effect on teachers’ individual learning. School climate , differently from other significant predictors, was able to detect the high-level collective learners. The only individual characteristics, school level was a significant predictor. Teachers, who work at the primary level, are tend to be collective learner. Based on the results, we suggested to widen the area of teachers’ individual initiatives and to compose groups working collectively towards challenging goals for enhancing students’ learning.