Relationships between the big five personality factors and performance criteria for inservice high school teachers

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationships between in-service teacher personality characteristics, as measured within the framework of the five-factor personality model by the NEO Personality Inventory - Revised, and teacher performance criteria, as measured by three methods: student ratings, administrator ratings, and teacher self-ratings. Participants included 138 in-service high-school teachers who took part in this study, together with 26 principals, and 1080 students. Results of the study suggested the existence of low but statistically significant negative relationships between the personality domains of Neuroticism and Agreeableness and teacher performance as measured by administrator and teacher self-ratings. A significant positive relationship was indicated between the personality domain of Extraversion and teacher performance as measured by teacher self-ratings. At the sub-domain (facet) level, Depression, Positive Emotions, Straightforwardness, Altruism, and Tender Mindedness were found to have a significant negative relationship with teacher performance as measured by the teacher self-ratings and the ratings of administrators. The personality facets of Gregariousness, Openness to Ideas, Openness to Values, Trust, Order, and Achievement Striving were significantly positively related to teacher performance as measured by the ratings of students, administrators, or teachers themselves. Based on these analyses, it would appear that teachers who enjoy the company of others, exhibit an open-mindedness toward new ideas, report a willingness to reexamine social values, are trusting and well organized, and strive to achieve their goals may be given higher performance ratings by students, administrators, and/or themselves than they give to teachers who do not exhibit these traits. Conversely, the data suggested that teachers who are depressed, show strong concern for others, and are sympathetic or frank may be given lower ratings by these groups than teachers who do not exhibit these traits. The data suggested that teachers who demonstrate the personality characteristics associated with agreeableness and altruism may receive lower performance ratings by administrators than do teachers who tend toward a willingness to be firm in their dealings with others. Although a number of the correlations were statistically significant at the 0.10 level, most were small in size necessitating the use of caution in their interpretation