TEACHING APTITUDE, PERSONALITY INTERPLAY, AND PROFESSIONAL EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECONDARY AND SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN INDIA

Abstract

Aptitude, as the ability of a teacher to provide instruction in the most effective way and cope with classroom dynamics, is strongly associated with personality traits. The research paper examines the connection between teaching aptitude and personality characteristics between government and non-government secondary and senior secondary school teachers in India. Two hundred teachers (100 government, 100 private) were used in the research. Findings showed that there was a great variation in the teaching aptitude, as government teachers were more successful as compared to their counterparts in the private sector. There were strong positive correlations between personality traits, especially conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness, and teaching aptitude, with a negative influence of neuroticism. The results indicate that personality traits are effective predictors of teaching effectiveness and underscore the role played by institutional settings of professional competence. The research has a practical implication for the selection, training, and policymaking of teachers to improve teaching.