The Effect of Employment Interview Format on Principals’ Evaluations of Teachers

Authors: EMLEY K.¹; EBMEIER H.²

Source: Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education, Volume 11, Number 1, April 1997 , pp. 39-56(18)

Publisher: Springer

Abstract:

This study compared the effectiveness of structured and branched-format employment interviews in differentiating strong and weak teachers. In addition, the study examined the correlations between principals’ ratings and teachers’ self-ratings on measures of efficacy, commitment, job satisfaction, and morale. To simulate structured and branched interviews, eight experienced elementary teachers were employed to construct eight videotaped interviews. Four of these teachers were identified as strong, and four were identified as weak teachers based on formal district evaluations. Sixteen elementary principals each viewed two tapes, one representing a branched interview format and the other representing a structured format. Tapes of strong and weak teachers were randomly assigned to principals within each interview format. The principals then rated the teacher on the five scales: overall teaching ability, efficacy, commitment, satisfaction, and morale. Teachers completed a par allel questionnaire before videotaping the interviews. Analysis of the data indicated both interview methods were effective in differentiating between strong and weak teachers on ability, efficacy, commitment, job satisfaction, and morale measures. With certain cautions, this finding supports the common practice of placing great emphasis on verbal interviews to select teachers. There was not, however, a significant difference between the two interview formats; either format seems acceptable. Correlations between the principals’ rating and the self-rating of the teachers were significant on the efficacy, job satisfaction, and morale measures; the correlations were not significant on the commitment measure. This finding implies that collection of specific types of survey data before the interview might increase the predictive validity of the interview process; alternatively, it might allow the process to be shortened with little loss of information.

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Stanley Elementary School Blue Valley Public Schools 6121 West 158th Overland Park Kansas 66223-3474 2: Educational PolicyLeadership 2 Bailey Hall University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas 66045

Publication date: 1997-04-01

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• In this Subject: Education
• By this author: EMLEY K. ;  EBMEIER H.

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