The Teacher At The Center Of The Teaching Effectiveness Debate: Meta-Synthesis Of The Impact Of Teacher Characteristics

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to synthesize the results of evidence accumulated from an extensive body of primary research through quantitative and qualitative synthesis studies (meta-analyses and systematic reviews) that examine the relationship between teacher characteristics and various measures of teaching effectiveness and quality. This meta-synthesis integrates the results of 6 papers that facilitate the description of their characteristics in their own context, together with an analysis of trends that transcend all of them. The results show that the cognitive and academic trajectory characteristics of teachers are integrated in broad models, although with a very moderate impact at best. Motivation studies are essentially descriptive, although they allow comparisons to be made according to the socio-economic and cultural context of teachers through the use of common measurement tools. This meta-synthesis shows that more large-scale research with validated instruments and comparable samples is needed. But above all, there is a need for research based on a solid theoretical foundation that addresses in an integrated manner the precise effects of teacher characteristics on teaching quality.