Competencies and Capabilities of a Good Teacher Measure

Abstract

The Competencies and Capabilities of a Good Teacher Measure (CCGTM), developed by Martín-Pastor et al. (2023), is a specialized psychological instrument designed to assess the perceptions held by Preservice Teachers regarding the essential professional competencies and personal qualities required of an effective educator. This 22-item scale was constructed based on foundational dimensions and qualities identified in prior educational research (Carrasco, Hernández, & Iglesias, 2012).

The initial validation study involved a Spanish sample of future educators enrolled in teaching training practices and internships across Early Childhood Education and Primary Education programs. The psychometric properties, including reliability (Internal Consistency) and Construct Validity, were rigorously evaluated. The resulting structure established a final 4-factor model, confirming the measure’s suitability for assessing perceived teaching profiles among this population.

Keywords

Capabilities, Competencies, Educational Measures, Interaction, Pedagogical Aptitude, Personal Qualities, Preservice Teacher Perceptions, Preservice Teachers, Professional Personnel Measures, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Effectiveness, Teacher Personality, Training.

Authors

Martín-Pastor, Elena, Sánchez-Barbero, Beatriz, Corrochano, Diego, Gómez-Gonçalves, Alejandro.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the CCGTM instrument is strategic: to inform and guide the development and planning of both initial and ongoing professional training programs for future educators. By accurately measuring the perceptions of Preservice Teachers regarding ideal teaching characteristics, the scale helps educational institutions identify potential gaps and areas requiring greater curricular focus in teacher preparation.

Construct

The scale measures the multi-dimensional construct of the perceived ideal teaching profile, focusing specifically on the essential competencies and capabilities of a good teacher, as understood by individuals currently undergoing teacher preparation. This comprehensive construct is broken down into four primary latent variables or subscales:

• Personal qualities: Reflecting inherent traits and attitudes of the educator.
• Training: Encompassing professional and subject matter knowledge.
• Pedagogical aptitude: Referring to instructional design, planning, and teaching skills.
• Interaction: Covering relational skills with students, peers, and external agents.

Validity

The validity of the CCGTM was established through rigorous psychometric testing, primarily focusing on Construct Validity. This was achieved through factor analysis utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).

The statistical analysis provided strong empirical support for the theoretical structure of the scale, confirming that the 22 items accurately load onto the four intended underlying factors. This validation process ensures the instrument reliably measures the intended psychological construct of perceived teacher competence.

Reliability

The reliability of the instrument was assessed using Internal Consistency measures. The calculated Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients for the scale ranged from 0.750 to 0.924. These values indicate good to excellent internal consistency across the measure, confirming that the items within the scale are strongly intercorrelated and consistently measure the same latent traits.

Factor Analysis

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to test the underlying structure of the 22 items and establish the optimal measurement model. This analysis, conducted via Structural Equation Modeling, confirmed a final 4-factor structural model that accurately measures the teaching profile perceptions of preservice educators.

The final model was composed of 4 latent variables (the subscales), 22 observed variables (the scale items), 22 error terms, and 22 factor loadings connecting the factors to their corresponding items. The model further included 12 correlations: six between the latent factors (reflecting theoretical overlap) and six between specific error terms, guided by modification indices to optimize model fit.

Instrument

Test Type: Original

Format: Items are answered using a 1 to 4 Likert-type Scale. The response options range from 1 (total disagreement) to 4 (total agreement).

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older)

Population Details: The measure was validated on Preservice Teachers in Spain, specifically those undergoing training practices and internships in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education.

Test Methodology: Test Validity, Construct Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling.

Keywords

Capabilities, Competencies, Educational Measures, Interaction, Pedagogical Aptitude, Personal Qualities, Preservice Teacher Perceptions, Preservice Teachers, Professional Personnel Measures, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Effectiveness, Teacher Personality, Training.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier:

• Corrochano, Diego: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6085-9744
• Gómez-Gonçalves, Alejandro: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4988-4623

Affiliation Email addresses:

• Martín-Pastor, Elena: University of Salamanca, Department of Didactics, School Organization and Research Methods. Email: [email protected]
• Sánchez-Barbero, Beatriz: University of Salamanca, Department of Didactics of Mathematics Education and Experimental Sciences Education. Email: [email protected]
• Corrochano, Diego: University of Salamanca, Department of Didactics of Mathematics Education and Experimental Sciences Education. Email: [email protected]
• Gómez-Gonçalves, Alejandro: University of Salamanca, Department of Geography. Email: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Corrochano, Diego: University of Salamanca, Department of Didactics of Mathematics Education and Experimental Sciences Education, Salamanca, Spain, 37008. Email: [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale may be used freely for Research/Teaching purposes, provided the source is cited. Commercial use is explicitly prohibited. The instrument was developed and validated in 2023 under a Creative Commons license.

• Permissions: May be used for Research/Teaching.
• Commercial Use: No
• Fee: No
• Test Year: 2023
• License/Web Site: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

Reference’s

Martín-Pastor, E., Sánchez-Barbero, B., Corrochano, D., & Gómez-Gonçalves, A. (2023). What competencies and capabilities identify a good teacher? Design of an instrument to measure preservice teachers’ perceptions. Education Sciences, 13(8), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13080789

Items of the Competencies and Capabilities of a Good Teacher Measure

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

A Good Teacher Should …

• Be able to plan his or her teaching activity and adapt it to the context in which it is delivered.
• Be able to meet the needs of students and peers.
• Be technically and professionally prepared to fulfill the teaching job.
• Have democratic principles and values and a social justice mindset.
• Be able to establish constructive group relationships among students.
• Have thorough knowledge of the education cycle or stage where the teaching activity is to develop.
• Have thorough knowledge of the subject or subjects to be taught.
• Be able to coherently program the teaching of the different subjects and know how to relate them to each other.
• Be familiar with the new training processes proposed by information and communication technologies.
• Be able to conduct the teaching job in today’s society, which is characterized by diversity, innovation, and complexity.
• Act as a mediator so that every activity is relevant to students.
• Stimulate students’ potential for development.
• Be able to design and organize multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary work.
• Be able to collaborate with the world outside the school.
• Be able to provide students with tutoring and guidance.
• Be able to assess students’ learning.
• Be able to establish student-student interactions with the purpose of expanding knowledge.
• Be able to establish teacher-students interactions with the purpose of expanding knowledge.
• Be able to establish relationships with external agents (families, associations, education authorities, etc.) to facilitate students’ educational success.
• Be prepared to engage in teamwork with the rest of the teachers.
• Have social skills to exercise leadership among students.
• Have the skills to run student work groups.