Secondary teachers' and undergraduate education faculty members' perceptions of teaching-effectiveness criteria: A national survey

This essay presents findings from a national survey of secondary-school teachers and undergraduate education faculty members regarding their perceptions of criteria related to gaining employment as a secondary-school teacher, effective teaching, and preparatory undergraduate coursework. A questionnaire was sent to a sample of 1076 secondary-school teachers and 538 undergraduate education faculty members asking them to rate criteria and courses. Data collected from 350 secondary-school teachers and 201 undergraduate education faculty members showed that communication-related skills (e.g., Interpersonal Communication Skills, Oral Communication Skills), attributes (e.g., Enthusiasm, Poise) and courses (e.g., Interpersonal Communication, Public Speaking) were rated among the most important criteria by both groups of respondents in all three areas (employment in a teaching position, in-class effectiveness, and preparatory coursework). The role of teacher preparation in the current National Communication Association (NCA) agenda regarding communication in the K-12 classroom is discussed.