Date Approved

5-6-2003

Embargo Period

5-9-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in School Psychology

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Klanderman, John

Subject(s)

Special education teachers--Psychology; Teachers--Psychology

Disciplines

Educational Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the components of human personality in terms of temperament that are similar and different between individuals who teach regular education students and individuals who teach special education, specifically in the area of developmental disabilities. This study examined the temperament of these two types of teachers by using the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II which is a self-report questionnaire that places individuals into one of four temperament groups: Guardianas, Artisans, Idealists, or Rationals. The sample consisted of 53 teachers, 37 females and 16 males, coming from either a Catholic High School or a private school for developmentally disabled students in southern New Jersey. Results did not support the hypothesis that the teachers of the developmentally disabled students would be classified mostly as Guardians and the teachers of the regular students would show more variability in classification. Both groups of teachers were mostly classified as the temperament group known as Guardians. Implications for further research regarding the differences between these two types of teachers were discussed.

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