Personality type as a predictor of interaction between student teachers and cooperating teachers

Abstract

Pairing of student teachers with cooperating teachers has not been studied intently in agricultural education. With student teaching being an important aspect to teacher preparation, it should be a research priority. The purpose of the study was to determine if personality type could predict aspects of interaction between cooperating teachers of agricultural education in two Midwestern states and their student teachers. Student teachers and cooperating teachers in agricultural education for the 2003-2004 school year, from the University of Missouri-Columbia and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, participated in the study.The study was descriptive-correlational, quantitative research. To measure personality type, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was used. To measure interaction aspects, the Mentoring Relationship Questionnaire (Greiman, 2003) was used. Findings suggest that, according to both cooperating teachers and student teachers, that student teachers were receiving psychosocial assistance from cooperating teachers. In addition, according to both student teachers and cooperating teachers, student teachers did not need much, nor did they receive much support related to roles and responsibilities of an agriculture teacher. Although the study found strength in relationships between overall perceived similarity and interaction satisfaction, personality type was found to have little influence on the variables.