Key Indicators That Lead to Teacher Effectiveness

Published Article: Positive predictors of teacher effectiveness

Publication: The Journal of Positive Psychology
Vol. 4, No. 6, November 2009, 540-547

Authors: Angela Lee Duckworth, Patrick D. Quinn, and Martin E.P. Seligman

Research Focus: Predicting highly effective teachers

Executive Overview: In the world of Race to the Top, with an emphasis on highly effective teachers, it is extremely important to be able to accurately identify teachers who possess the attributes necessary to increase student achievement. This study looks at three significant predictors that help identify teachers who are more effective than others. Many of the traditional indicators of competence explain minimal difference in performance. This study looks at teachers in under-resourced public schools that possess a high degree of effectiveness, measured in terms of academic gains of students. The authors answer the question: How important are positive traits such as life satisfaction, optimistic outlook, and sheer grit in determining a teacher's effectiveness in the classroom?


Key Findings

Teachers who rated higher in life satisfaction (contentment with one's current life situation) were 43% more likely to outperform their peers based on their students' achievement data.
Teachers who scored higher on a grit scale, which measured perseverance and passion in the pursuit of long-term goals, were 31% more likely to outperform their peers.
All three positive traits (life satisfaction, optimistic outlook, and sheer grit) predicted teacher performance.
The researchers concluded that when recruiting and selecting teachers, schools should consider that positive traits such as grit, life satisfaction, and optimism may be as important, if not more so, than traditional indicators of performance.
The findings suggest a place for positive interventions in the professional development of current teachers.