Open AccessPERSONALITY, ROLE CONFLICT, AND SELF‐CONCEPTION IN STUDENT TEACHERS 1
Author(s) -
Walberg Herbert J.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
ets research bulletin series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2333-8504
pISSN - 0424-6144
DOI - 10.1002/j.2333-8504.1966.tb00144.x
Subject(s) - personality , psychology , semantic differential , social psychology , developmental psychology
Research literature on beginning teachers suggests a conflict between the need to establish rapport with children and the professional role of teachers in maintaining authority. A theory that this personality‐role conflict lowers self‐conception was tested in a sample of 77 women. The subjects took a Semantic Differential questionnaire before and after practice teaching, and were found to rate themselves lower on 20 of the possible 20 items classified as favorable (p < .001) and higher on eight of eight unfavorable items (p < .001) after the experience. Significant changes in individual items (.05 ≤ p ≤ 0001) revealed the pattern of conflict more specifically. A generalized theory of personality‐role conflict and decline in self‐conception in occupational novices is discussed.