In a wide-ranging study of tutors and assessors in a Welsh educational establishment recently, T2 obtained some interesting results.
The experiment covered several areas: Conflict Styles, Emotional Intelligence (EI), Optimism / Pessimism, Stress and Adaptability.
The first two areas described here aimed to establish the EI of the tutors and assessors, and their Conflict Styles, when interacting with students. We tracked these measures using psycho-metric questionnaires, which the tutors and assessors completed.
The results were then correlated with the independent appraisal of the staff by senior managers in relation to overall job performance. There were only two categories of performance: exceptional or average.
The aim was to establish whether exceptional staff displayed any specific personality traits in relation to Conflict Style and Emotional Intelligence.
Graph 1.1: Tutors’ and Assessors’ Conflict Styles average scores.
The exceptional tutors and assessors show a preference for guiding students, rather than dominating them.
They also prefer a collaborative style of problem-solving, and have a consensus approach when working with students (Graph 1.1).
Graph 1.2: Tutors’ and Assessors’ Emotional Intelligence average scores.
Whilst on the Emotional Intelligence measure (Graph 1.2), the strongest aspect that characterises exceptional tutors and assessors is their desire to work with people.
Relationship management and emotional coaching emphasise the desise to support and develop students.
It is clear that these data show positive trends of qualities that could be applied in the selection and development of tutors and assessors in a college environment.
In following articles, we will have a closer look at further personality traits that can assist in the recruitment of exceptional tutors and assessors.
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