Browsing by Author "Pulkkinen, Ulla"

Objectives. The aim of the current study was to explore whether there are temperament traits characteristic to those applying and those selected to study in classroom teacher education. Temperament refers to the biological, relatively stable core of personality, which emerges early in life and manifests as differences in styles of functioning and reacting to emotional stimuli. Temperament has been found to be associated with physical as well as psychological well-being and to affect educational and occupational career. Temperament has also been found to be associated with adjustment in school as well as academic achievement in all educational levels. Although associations between teachers' core traits and various outcomes have been found, so far, the study on temperament traits characteristic to teachers has been scarce. Methods. The study was conducted by assessing the EAS -temperament traits of individuals applying to classroom teacher education program at the University of Helsinki (N = 1035) and considering the traits as predictors of applying and being selected to the program. Roughly representative Finnish population estimates were used as a reference. The effects of age, gender, parental SES and previous academic achievement were controlled for, as these have been found to have associations with educational career. Results and conclusions. Applicants to teacher education scored higher on sociability and lower on emotionality than the reference group. Also teacher candidates were higher on sociability and lower on emotionality than the reference group. These differences remained relatively unchanged after controlling for potential confounders, after which teacher applicants also scored lower on activity than the reference group. No differences in temperament were observed between teacher candidates and those applicants not selected to teacher education. Based on the results of this study, it can be suggested, that as a group applicants to teacher education and teacher candidates have distinctive temperament profile. This might have concrete, positive as well as negative outcomes, that should be taken into account in teacher education and when discussing teacher well-being. The differences were caused by characteristics of individuals choosing to apply to classroom teacher education in the first place. More research is needed to clarify the role of temperament in well-being and achievement in teacher education as well as in teachers' occupation.