The Role of Personality and Professional Learning Community Quality in Predicting Teacher Effectiveness

Abstract

This study's main purpose is to illuminate how teacher personality and Professional Learning Community (PLC) quality contribute to teacher effectiveness. Fifty-seven (N = 57) K-3 teachers in approximately 30 PLCs participated. The study used survey instruments, teacher observations and interviews. Study instruments included a demographic survey, the NEO Personality FFI-3 personality measure, a PLC quality survey, and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. Interviews were also conducted with two highly effective teachers to explore teacher beliefs about factors that enhance their teaching effectiveness and what constitutes a high-quality PLC. Hierarchical linear modeling and hierarchical multiple regression were used to analyze connections among personality, PLC quality, and teacher effectiveness variables whereas etic coding was used to analyze the qualitative data. Key findings include the importance of PLC membership to teacher effectiveness in providing students with emotional support. PLC mean scores of Agreeableness and PLC collegiality predict teachers' emotional support effectiveness. Individual teacher Agreeableness and Extraversion predict teacher effectiveness in providing instructional support. PLC mean scores of Openness to Experience and Agreeableness predict PLC cohesion. Interviews with teachers stressed the importance of PLC structure, autonomy, and collegiality to teacher effectiveness. The results of this study fill gaps in the literature about predictors of teacher effectiveness and PLC quality. Implications for administration are discussed, including suggestions for implementing enabling conditions and distributed leadership to facilitate PLC quality. Limitations include the newly developed PLC quality measure, sample size, and relatively infrequent PLC meetings.