RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TEACHER-STUDENT INTERPERSONAL-BEHAVIOR AND TEACHER PERSONALITY

Past learning environment studies have shown the importance of teacher -student interpersonal behaviour in determining student learning outco mes. This study provides a distinctive contribution to learning enviro nment research in that it investigated the relationship between studen t and teacher perceptions of teacher-student interpersonal behaviour u sing the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and teacher person ality using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). A sample of 108 te achers from eight secondary colleges (Grades II and 12) in Tasmania, A ustralia completed the MBTI and QTI and the students in one of the cla sses of each teacher completed the QTI. A greater positive association was found between teacher personality and self-perception of student- teacher interpersonal behaviour than between teacher personality and t heir students' perceptions. Teacher personality appeared to be consist ently associated with teacher self-perception of being friendly, helpf ul, giving freedom, responsibility and opportunity for independent wor k in class, uncertainty, maintaining a low profile and being passive. Students' perceptions of their teacher's interpersonal behaviour were related to the personality of the teacher in regard to how much freedo m and responsibility students thought they were allowed. The relative proportions of the 16 personality types of the MBTI in the sample were determined and the college teachers were heavily represented by TJ (T hinking-Judging) types of personality (47.5 percent).