Ideal Teacher Behavior PerceptionsOf Science Students: Success, Gender, Course

Kenneth Petersonand

Bea MayesDepartment of Educational Studies

University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah 84112

Students’ perceptions of the ideal teacher can be an important part ofthe classroom experience. Perceptions may contribute to, or detract fromlearning. Students who enjoy early agreement between w^hat they expectfrom an ideal teacher and what they actually see are more likely to beginlearning tasks confidently and easily. Conversely, pupils who see diver-gence from their ideal may be distracted by personal reactions, conflictand resistance (Mayes, 1977). Thus, an understanding of how sciencestudents perceive ideal teacher behavior is of interest to classroom teach-ers, science education researchers and to teacher educators.The problem of assessing perception of ideal teacher behavior has been

discussed by a number of writers. Bybee (1975, 1978) described the im-portance of the idea and its application to elementary science students.His instrument was a 50 item Q-sort first reported by him in an earlierstudy (Bybee and Chaloupka, 1971). Bybee found that students saw in-terpersonal relations items to be highly important to elementary and Up-ward Bound science students�a finding inconsistent with the usualteacher-training emphasis. Peterson and Yaakobi (1978, 1979) describedanother Q-sort for teacher behaviors w^hich was completed by sciencestudents, student teachers, university supervisors and public schoolteachers. They reported differences in overall perception of the ideal aswell as specific behavioral item ranking differences.

It seems reasonable to expect that perceptions of ideal behavior wouldvary for students according ^background, personality, context and ex-perience variables. Among these might be the prior success in scienceclasses, gender of the student, and the specific science course�grade lev-el and subject.

THE STUDY

Problem

The questions investigated in this study \\’ere: do science students rankteacher behaviors differently in their description of an ideal teacher ac-cording to a) success in science, b) gender of student and c) specific sci-ence course and grade level?

315

316 School Science and Mathematics

Instrumentation

The assessment instrument for this study was the 24 item ideal teacherbehavior Q-sort from the Peterson-Yaakobi Q-sort (Peterson and Yaa-kobi, 1978, 1979).

Sample

Two hundred seventeen eighth, tenth and twelfth grade students fromthe San Francisco Bay Area and Salt Lake City, Utah comprised the sam-ple for this study. Students represented a range of SES-type schools;none were unrepresentative of their area.

Procedure

The subjects were administered the Q-sorts at the beginning of the sec-ond semester of their science class by one of the researchers. Data collect-ed were the sorts, gender of student, previous semester grade and course-grade level. The mean ranks of ranks for each item by group was the in-dependent variable and the other data constituted the dependent vari-ables.

Data Analysis

A significance test for difference in mean rank of ranks was performedbetween groups for gender and success (letter grades A and B "high", Dand F "low’*) as per Mann-Whitney, and among groups (8th grade gen-eral science, 10th grade biology, 12th grade physics) as per Kruskal-Wal-lace. Significance test for obtaining the observed number of significantlydifferently ranked items out of 24 for the alpha of .05 was calculatedwith a binomial test.

FINDINGS

Table 1 presents the item ranking comparisons by class success. Thehigh achievers saw four behaviors as more important for the Ideal Teach-er than did the low achievers:

^12. Acts like students are important as individuals^14. Quickly returns student work with comments or gradesff20. Encourages and responds to students’ opinions and ideas^24. Effectively gets across subject matter

Item ^20, Encourages and responds to students9 opinions and ideas andItem ^12, Acts like students are important as individuals, can be seen asrelated. Item ^14, Quickly returns student work with comments orgrades, reflects concern with learning subject matter, and can be seen asa positive aspect of organized behavior (see below). Effectively getsacross subject matter. Item ^15, reflects these high achieving students*orientation toward learning subject matters.

Ideal Teacher Behavior

TABLE lITEM RANK COMPARISONS BY SUCCESS

317

(n=125)rank ’

1. Acts at ease in classroom not nervous2. Uses punishment to maintain control3. Keeps an orderly classroom4. Creates comfortable learning environment5. Has students use self-evaluation

6. Uses memory type questions in tests7. Uses only test scores for grading8. Gives problem solving test questions9. Is disorganized

10. Shares teaching problems with teachers

11. Works well, often with other teachers12. Acts like pupils are important individuals13. Talks to pupils about their problems14. Quickly gives feedback on student work15. Fills class time with work

16. Uses wwds students can’t understand17. Asks questions that make pupils think18. Uses what students want in class design19. Uses only one teaching approach20. Encourages, responds to pupil ideas

21. Follows school rules, procedures22. Influences school outside of class23. Initiates contact with parents24. Effectively gets across subject matter

CLASS SHigh

77.685.483.578.780.9

83.783.777.986.182.4

82.977.280.276.281.6

86.077.282.579.177.0

81.183.180.175.8

UCCESSLow

(N=36)

92.965.872.389.181.3

71.571.691.863.476.2

74.394.083.697.778.8

63.794.175.787.794.7

81.073.984.199.0

P

.08

.03*

.20.23.96

.16

.16

.12

.01*

.49

.33

.05*

.70

.01*

.74

.01*

.06

.44

.32

.04*

.96

.30.65.01*

SignificantMann-Whitney: mean rank of ranks

On the other hand, low achievers saw three other behaviors as moreimportant for an Ideal Teacher than did the high achievers:

^2. Uses punishment to maintain controlff9. Is disorganized^16. Uses words students can’t understand

Interestingly, the low achievers chose as important three descriptions ofteacher behavior with negative connotations, and they did so significant-ly more often than do the high achievers. Uses punishment to maintaincontrol can be interpreted as an aspect of seeing a student as an individ-ual (^12, above). Is disorganized can be seen as related in a negative wayto giving quick feedback (^14, above), as well as to Effectively getsacross subject matter (^24, above). Uses words students can’t understand

318School Science and Mathematics

is negative behavior which can be seen as relating to Effectively getsacross subject matter (^24, above) and Encourages and responds to stu-dents’ opinions and ideas (^20, above).On the Gender parameter, Table 2, males saw Item ^7, Uses only test

scores for grading and Item »^8, Gives problem solving Questions in testsas more important to the Ideal Teacher than did females. These ideas canbe seen as consonant with the stereotypic male orientation toward non-personal subject matter. Females saw Item //12, Acts like students are im-portant as individuals, and Item ^23, Initiates contact with parents andcommunity members as teacher behaviors that are more important forthe Ideal Teacher than do males. These items, which are personal and so-cial in nature, may reflect the stereotyped notion of female interest inpeople and social interaction.

TABLE 2ITEM RANK COMPARISONS BY GENDER

1. Acts at ease in classroom, not nervous2. Uses punishment to maintain control3. Keeps an orderly classroom4. Creates comfortable learning environment5. Has students use self-evaluation

6. Uses memory type questions in tests7. Uses only test scores for grading8. Gives problem solving test questions9. Is disorganized

10. Shares teaching problems with teachers

11. Works well, often with other teachers12. Acts like pupils are important individuals13. Talks to pupils about their problems14. Quickly gives feedback on student work15. Fills class time with work

16. Uses words students can’t understand17. Asks questions that make pupils think18. Uses what students want in class design19. Uses only one teaching approach20. Encourages, responds to pupil ideas

21. Follows school rules, procedures22. Influences school outside of class23. Initiates contact with parents24. Effectively gets across subject matter

GENFemale(n=100)

ran

104.0110.7107.2105.9106.7

112.1120.8118.5113.2115.9

103.697.7113.8106.9113.9

112.0117.7110.9110.5102.1

106.6102.596.4110.6

DERMale

(n=117)k’

113.3107.5110.5111.6111.0

106.499.0100.8105.4103.1

113.6118.6104.9110.7104.8

106.4101.6107.4107.7114.9

111.1114.5119.8107.6

P

.28

.70

.70

.50

.62

.50

.01*

.04*

.35

.13

.24

.01*

.30

.66

.29

.51

.06

.69

.74

.13

.60

.16

.01*

.72

* Significant

’ Mann-Whitney: mean rank of ranks

Ideal Teacher Behavior 319

Analysis of the Science Subject parameter shows that students in dif-ferent science classes�general science, biology, and physics�perceiveIdeal Teacher behavior as significantly different on seven items. The dif-ferences are highly significant on Items ^6, A46, and #24. See Table 3.

U2. Uses punishment to maintain controlff4. Creates a comfortable learning atmosphere^6. Gives questions in tests which require memorizing^16. Uses words students can’t understand^20. Encourages and responds to students’ opinions and ideastil\. Follows school rules and proceduresff24. Effectively gets across subject matter

TABLE 3ITEM RANK COMPARISONS BY COURSE

COURSEGen. Sci. Biol. Phys.

(n=84) (n=93) (n=40)rank ’

1.2.3.4.5.

6.7.8.9.

10.

11.12.13.14.15.

16.17.18.19.20.

21.22.23.24.

Acts at ease in classroom, not nervousUses punishment to maintain controlKeeps an orderly classroomCreates comfortable learning environmentHas students use self-evaluation

Uses memory type questions in testsUses only test scores for gradingGives problem solving test questionsIs disorganizedShares teaching problems with teachers

Works well, often with other teachersActs like pupils are important individualsTalks to pupils about their problemsQuickly gives feedback on student workFills class time with work

Uses words students can’t understandAsks questions that make pupils thinkUses what students want in class designUses only one teaching approachEncourages, responds to pupil ideas

Follows school rules, proceduresInfluences school outside of classInitiates contact with parentsEffectively gets across subject matter

107.195.3100.8101.9107.5

109.8121.5119.8108.5109.2

106.5100.9103.8115.1110.4

117.1108.2110.3117.3117.3

105.3104.499.5124.4

114.0118.9111.4123.8112.2

96.2100.4105.3108.4112.6

105.2120.4112.8104.8105.5

92.8118.2111.298.7111.9

101.9111.1111.5112.0

101.4116.9120.589.5104.7

137.1102.694.9111.4100.3

123.199.6

111.1106.1114.2

129.589.3101.2115.684.7

133.3113.7123.169.8

.53

.04*

.23

.01*

.79

<.01*.06.09.97.58

.29

.07

.62

.52

.74

<.01*.05.68.11.02*

.02*

.68

.13<.01*

SignificantKruskal-Wallace; mean rank of ranks

320 School Science and Mathematics

On six of the seven items on which the sub-group rankings were signifi-cantly different, the rankings of the biology students form one end of thepolarity. A polarity between biology students perceptions and those ofphysics students existed on five of the teacher behaviors the science stu-dents ranked differently (^4, ff6, ^16, ^20, ff2\). On Item ^2 the polaritywas between general science students and biology students. General sci-ence students saw Uses punishment to maintain control as more impor-tant in describing the Ideal Teacher than did either the biology studentsor the physics students. On Item ^24, Effectively gets across subject mat-ter, the polarity was between general science students and physics stu-dents. The advanced science students, generally high achievers, show sig-nificantly more concern about learning subject matter than do the gen-eral science students.

Biology students saw Item ff2\, Follow school rules one/procedures,Item ff6, Gives questions In tests that require memorizing, and Item ff\6,Uses \vords students can’t understand as more important for an IdealTeacher than did physics students.On the other hand, physics students sa\v Item ^4, Creates a comfortablelearning atmosphere, and Item ff20. Encourages and responds to stu-dents’ opinions and ideas as more important for an Ideal Teacher thando biology students. Surprisingly, an Ideal Teacher of the biology stu-dents differed more sharply and more often from an Ideal Teacher of thephysics students than did an Ideal Teacher of the general science stu-dents. However, the physics students place a great deal more emphasison the Ideal Teacher being effective in getting across subject matter thando either the general science students or the biology students. It may wellbe that the structure and content of physics and biology call for differingteaching emphases. In addition, there may be differences in the studentsin all three classes in their degree of maturity and orientation towardlearning that contribute to their differing perceptions of an Ideal Teach-er.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

There are significant differences in high school science students’ per-ceptions of an Ideal Teacher. The rankings by science students of de-scriptions of Ideal Teacher behavior were investigated using the Peter-son-Yaakobi Q-Sort. Item rankings differ significantly depending uponthe students’ Class Success, Gender, and the Science Subject understudy. The high achievers in science give importance to items relating to,or reflecting, concern for learning subject matter. Low achievers amongthe science students supported statements of teacher behavior that havenegative connotations as well as relevance for student learning. Differ-ences in item rankings by gender groups can be said to follow stereotypic

Ideal Teacher Behavior 321

gender role expectations. The differences in the item rankings for anIdeal Teacher as perceived by students in general science, biology andphysics classes may relate to the degree of selectivity of the classes, to dif-ferences in teaching emphases, subject content and structure, and to dif-ferences in the students themselves. These factors contribute to the dif-fering perceptions of an Ideal Teacher by biology students as opposed tothe perceptions of an Ideal Teacher by students in the other sciences.

REFERENCES

BYBEE, R. The teacher 1 liked best: Perceptions of advantaged, average and disadvantagedscience students. School Science and Mathematics, 73 (5), 1973, 384-390.

BYBEE, R. The ideal elementary science teacher: Perceptions of children, preservice and in-service elementary science teachers. School Science and Mathematics, 75 (3), 1975, 229-325.

BVBEE, R. Science educator’s perceptions of the ideal science teacher. School Science andMathematics, 75(1), 1978. 13-22.

BYBEE, R. and CHALOUPKA, D. Students’ perceptions of the teacher they like best. Colo-rado Journal of Educational Research, 70(4), 1971,31-35.

MAYES, B. Women, equality, and the public high school. Education, P7(4), 1977, 330-335.PETERSON, K. and YAAKOBI, D. Peterson-Yaakobi Q-Sort. ERIC Document, ED 163-020,

1978.PETERSON, K. and YAAKOBI, D. Self-concept and perceptions of role behavior of high

school science students and teachers: New assessment instruments. Journal of Researchin Science Teaching, 16, 1979. 433-438.

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