Teacher selection : evidence-based practices

Marketing text: This book combines theory and research from educational and organizational psychology to provide guidance on improving the teacher selection process and, subsequently, educational outcomes for all students. The book identifies the characteristics of effective teachers, analyzes research on selection practices, and examines new approaches to teacher selection, recruitment, and development. The central premise of the book is that improving the effectiveness of teachers – and, thus, students’ educational outcomes – can be achieved by making the recruitment and selection process more effective and more efficient. Accordingly, the book describes how to identify and select individuals for the teaching profession who display both strong cognitive attributes (e.g., subject knowledge) and essential non-cognitive attributes such as resilience, commitment to the profession, and motivation for teaching. Key topics Teacher selection practices from the viewpoint of organizational and educational psychology Teacher effectiveness and the role of individual attributes Situational judgment tests (SJTs) and multiple mini-interviews (MMIs) for teacher selection Implementation of teacher selection programs Teacher recruitment and development Given its scope, the book represents an essential reference guide for scholars, educational leaders and policymakers, and graduate students in educational leadership programs, as well as professionals in child and school psychology, educational psychology, teaching and teacher education. Preface 5 Acknowledgements 8 Contents 10 About the Authors 13 1 The Importance of Selecting the Most Effective Teachers 14 1.1 Strengthening the Teacher Workforce 15 1.2 Teacher Selection is a ‘Quick Win’ 16 1.3 Why Teacher Selection Matters 18 1.4 The Costs and Benefits of Teacher Selection 20 1.5 Purpose and Overview of the Book 21 1.6 Chapter Summary 22 References 23 Part I Identifying the Characteristics of Effective Teachers 25 2 What Does ‘Teacher Effectiveness’ Look like? 26 2.1 Teacher Effectiveness 27 2.2 Measuring Teacher Effectiveness 30 2.3 Trajectories of Teacher Effectiveness 34 2.4 Teacher Effectiveness and Related Outcomes 36 2.5 Are Effective Teachers Born or Made? 37 2.6 Chapter Summary 40 References 40 3 The Role of Individual Attributes in Teacher Selection 44 3.1 Individual Attributes 45 3.2 The Distinction Between Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Attributes 47 3.3 Individual Attributes and Teacher Effectiveness 47 3.4 Research on Attributes Related to Teacher Effectiveness 48 3.5 Inductive, Deductive, and Integrated Approaches 52 3.6 Cross-Cultural Perspectives: Which Attributes Are Universal? 53 3.7 Chapter Summary 55 References 55 Part II Selection Methods and Practices: Issues and Uses 58 4 Issues and Challenges in Selection 59 4.1 Test Quality and Theoretical Models Underpinning Selection 59 4.2 Adverse Impact 60 4.3 Applicants’ Perceptions of Selection Procedures 62 4.4 Faking 64 4.5 Coaching Effects 66 4.6 Chapter Summary 68 References 68 5 Selection Practices and Methods in Other Fields 72 5.1 Selection Practices in Other Fields 72 5.2 Selection Methods and Their Evidence 74 5.3 What Can We Learn from Selection in Other Fields? 83 5.4 Chapter Summary 84 References 85 Part III Teacher Selection: Past, Present, and Future 90 6 Teacher Selection: History and Current Practices 91 6.1 Historical Perspective on Teacher Selection 92 6.2 Need for Teacher Selection 93 6.3 Selecting Candidates for ITE 94 6.4 Selecting Teachers into Employment 99 6.5 How Valid Are Current Selection Methods? 101 6.6 Reviews of Research on Teacher Selection Practices 101 6.7 Chapter Summary 104 References 105 7 Situational Judgment Tests and Their Use for Teacher Selection 107 7.1 Situational Judgment Tests 107 7.2 Situational Judgment Tests for Teacher Selection 113 7.3 Developing SJTs: A Collaborative Approach 116 7.4 Adapting Content for New Settings 120 7.5 Chapter Summary 122 References 123 8 Developing Multiple Mini-Interviews for Teacher Selection 126 8.1 The Problem with Conventional Interviews 126 8.2 Multiple Mini-Interviews (MMIs) 127 8.3 MMIs for Selection in Teacher Education 130 8.4 Developing MMIs for Teacher Selection in the UK 132 8.5 Key Suggestions for MMI Implementation 137 8.6 Next Steps and Chapter Summary 138 References 138 9 Designing and Implementing a Teacher Selection Program 140 9.1 Putting It All Together: Designing an Evidence-Supported Selection Program 140 9.2 Choosing Selection Tools 141 9.3 Implementing a Selection Program 144 9.4 Stages of a Selection Program 147 9.5 Streamlining the Selection Process 148 9.6 Online Selection Methods 149 9.7 Providing Feedback to Applicants 151 9.8 Chapter Summary 152 References 152 10 Beyond Selection: Applying Lessons from Teacher Selection to Recruiting and Developing Teacher Candidates 154 10.1 Recruiting Prospective Teachers 154 10.2 Applying Lessons from Teacher Selection to Teacher Recruitment 158 10.3 Developing Preservice Teachers Using a Scenario-Based Learning Approach 160 10.4 Chapter Summary 163 References 163 11 The Future of Teacher Selection 166 References 169 Index 170