Special Educators' Perceptions of Teacher Effectiveness Compared to Coordinators, Principals, and Regular Class Teachers

Abstract

Career Incentive Plan coordinators, principals, regular class teachers, and special education teachers responded to questionnaires by indicating their degree of perceived importance of 23 characteristics of effective teachers. An oblique rotation within a factor analysis generated four clusters, labeled delivery, management, rapport, and planning. Multivariate test was significant (p < .002) and the univariate tests were significant for the four identified factors: delivery (p < .002), management (p < .002); rapport (p < .037), and planning (p < .015). One-way analyses showed that special education teachers' perceptions differ from those of principals and regular class teachers. Implications of the findings and recommendations are discussed.