Personality Characteristics of Teachers of Behavior Disordered Children

Abstract

Five teachers (judged to be effective teachers of behavior disordered children) were administered the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule and participated in an informal interview. A set of personality characteristics of effective teachers of the behavior disordered emerged. Such teachers tend to have a strong need for the following: dominance, intraception, affiliation, achievement, and succorance; and tend not to have a strong need for endurance, change, abasement, and aggression. Other important traits include a strong self-concept, a relationship orientation, a balance between introversion and extroversion, an ability to establish authority as a teacher (but not in an authoritarian manner), and patience.