Personality Characteristics, Career Awareness, and Job Expectations of New Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments

In 2000, contributors to the formulation of the National Plan for Training Personnel to Serve Children with Blindness and Low Vision anticipated a severe shortage of direct service personnel as early as 2006 with an increasing negative impact on teacher numbers through the end of the decade. It is necessary to attract approximately 5,000 new teachers to the field to meet the needs of the ever-increasing population of students with visual impairments requiring specialized training.This study investigated the personality and background experiences of individuals who are attracted to work as educators with students with visual impairments. A sample of 132 teachers who had been trained at either the undergraduate or graduate level and were employed within their first five years as teachers with this specialization completed the Holland Self-Directed Search (Form CP) and a Participant Profile form to ascertain the personality types and experiences of those new to the field.The study considered three variables: (1) gender, (2) race/ethnicity, (3) teacher training level and their association with Holland personality type (RIASEC). All three variables were weak predictors of the personality type of teachers of the visually impaired as indicated by Goodman and Kruskal's tau. Results of the Holland Self-Directed Search was a stronger measure of the personality type associated with becoming a teacher of students with visual impairments. The data related to the sample revealed that 65.2% of those responding identified themselves as Social type.Teachers identified how they became aware of the field prior to making a decision to enter a teacher-training program, what their reasons were for making a decision to enter a training program to become a teacher of students with visual impairments, and which areas of their teaching experience differed from what they had expected prior to employment in the field. Limitations of the study, implications of the results for recruitment and retention of teachers of students with visual impairments, and recommendations for future research are provided.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Special Education & Rehabilitation

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Arizona.

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Petrovay, David William

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Erin, Jane N.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Kampfe, Charlene
• Hendricks, Robert
• Sacks, Sharon

• Special Education
• Teacher Preparation
• Visual Impairment
• Teacher Recruitment
• Teacher Retention
• Holland Personality Type

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

Language dc:language.iso

EN

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/194332

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/194332