investigating leadership styles, personality preferences, and effective teacher consultation

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Investigating LeadershipStyles, PersonalityPreferences, and EffectiveTeacher ConsultationMary Savelsbergh & Bonnie StaeblerPublished online: 08 Jun 2010.

To cite this article: Mary Savelsbergh & Bonnie Staebler (1995) InvestigatingLeadership Styles, Personality Preferences, and Effective Teacher Consultation,Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 6:3, 277-286, DOI: 10.1207/s1532768xjepc0603_7

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JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSULTATION, 6(3), 277-286 Copyright o 1995, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Investigating Leadership Styles, Personality Preferences, and Effective

Teacher Consultation

Mary Savelsbergh Department of Professional Studies in Education

California State University, Chico

Bonnie Staebler Division of Special Education Western Oregon State College

We examined the relations among leadership styles (telling, selling, participating, and delegating), personality preferences (extravert- introvert, sensing-intuitive, feeling-thinking, and judging-perceiving), and effectiveness as a consultant teacher. The sample consisted of 31 consultant teachers. Three instruments were administered: The LEAD-Self (Hersey & Blanchard, 1973), the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Briggs Myers, 1976), and the Survey of Effectiveness of Collaborative Consultants (West & Cannon, 1987). The raw scores indicated that selling and participating were the two leadership styles most often used by the consultant teachers. No significant relations were found between the consultant teachers' effectiveness scores and any of the leadership styles. The significant relation found was between personality index preference and effectiveness in consulting. Sensing was a significant variable when effectiveness was considered. Together, the extravert and the sensing scores were good predictors of effectiveness.

Over the past 10 years, use of the consultant model as a service delivery option for students with mild disabilities has increased (Conoley & Conoley, 1982; Ysseldyke et al., 1984). This emphasis is based on the belief that consultation is beneficial to students with mild disabilities and

Requests for reprints should be sent to Mary Savelsbergh, Department of Professional Studies in Education, California State University, Chico, Chico, CA 95929-0465.

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278 SAVELSBERGH AND STAEBLER

to their teachers. Indeed, several studies have shown that students benefit academically when their teachers share ideas and collaborate on activities (Little, 1982; Tye & Tye, 1984). Other studies have shown that underachieving students benefit most when lessons are closely coordi- nated by remedial and regular educators (Allington & Johnston, 1984; Johnston, Allington, & Afflerbach, 1985; Leinhardt & Pallay, 1982). More than a dozen models of consultation between special and regular educators have been discussed (West & Idol, 1987).

The increased use of consultants evokes many questions about the efficacy of individuals performing the role. Friend and Cook (1992) suggested the need for research that examines the efficiency and effectiveness of training practices for special education teacher consultants. West and Idol (1987) pointed out that investigations to determine the knowledge, skills, attitude, and personality characteristics of successful versus unsuccessful educational consultants were needed. A Delphi panel of acknowledged experts in consultation added knowledge of leadership style to the list of necessary competencies for consultants (West & Cannon, 1987). Yet, very little research has been focused on the personalities or leadership styles of effective consultants. To address these issues, we examined the relations between (a) style of leadership and consultant effectiveness and (b) personality mode and consultant effectiveness.

Specifically, we examined the relations among consultant teacher effectiveness, leadership styles (telling, selling, participating, and delegating), and personality preferences (extravert-introvert, sensing- intuitive, feeling-thinking, and judging-perceiving). The questions posed were: Is there a relation between leadership style and effective consultation, and is there a relation between personality preference and effective consultation?

METHOD

Subjects

The sample consisted of 31 school personnel who worked as teacher consultants. Each consulted as part of his or her job or worked as a full-time educational consultant. Three had a regular classroom teaching background, 6 had a counseling background, 17 had both regular education and special education backgrounds, 20 worked in a large metropolitan school district, 5 worked in a suburban school district, and 6 worked at a county education service district. They were chosen by their building administrators prior to receiving training as consultants.

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EFFECTIVE CONSULTANTS 279

The consultants averaged 9 years of teaching experience and 2 years of consulting experience. Five were men, and 26 were women. All provided consultation for students with mild disabilities. District administrators selected them to receive training in collaborative consultation in a series of six full-day workshops.

Instruments

Three instruments were used to measure relations among leadership styles, personality types, and effective consultation. The instruments were (a) the LEAD-Self Leadership Inventory (LEAD-Self; Hersey & Blanchard, 1973), (b) the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI; Briggs Myers, 1976), and (c) a survey of effectiveness of collaborative consultants (SECC) adapted from the Essential Collaborative Consultation Competence for Regular and Special Educators (West & Cannon, 1987).

The LEAD-Self measures behaviors expected of consultants. It as- rsesses how often a consultant selects telling, selling, participating, or (delegating behaviors when these options are provided. The role of the consultant demands the ability to tell people information, sell ideas to others, participate in teams, and delegate authority.

The LEAD-Self is a self-perception questionnaire that presents 12 'leadership situations and describes a leader's style in terms of telling, selling, participating, or delegating. Respondents answer multiple- (choice questions that describe actions that they would take in particular situations. The LEAD-Self has been judged to be an empirically sound instrument (Greene, 1980). Reliability and validity were reported to be moderately strong.

The MBTI is widely accepted in education and has a strong empirical base. It measures personality types according to Jung's theory of types (Myers & Myers, 1983). Jung's theory is concerned with perception (information gathering) and judgment (decision making) behavior. The four personality index preferences, referred to as modes, are extravert-introvert (EI), sensing-intuition (SN), thinking-feeling (TF), and judging-perceiving (JP). The modes represent opposite ends of personality continua. For example, the extravert prefers the world of people, is outgoing, and is interested in many topics. The introvert prefers the inner world of ideas, is introspective, and is interested in fewer topics but at a greater depth. The sensing person bases decisions ion facts, whereas the intuitive person values personal hunches. The khinking person bases decisions on logic, whereas the feeling person bases decisions on feelings. The judging person makes plans and is organized when approaching problems. The perceiving person is more Likely to be spontaneous and creative. After taking the MBTI, the test

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taker is categorized by type (e.g., "sensor"), and the higher the scale scores, the greater the degree to which the consultant reflected that type. One may hypothesize that these differences in approach greatly impacted the process of consultation.

The SECC is based on the research of West and Cannon (1987). It was designed specifically for this study and reflects those behaviors associ- ated with consultant effectiveness. The SECC consists of 10 items compiled to measure the effectiveness of consultants. It uses a Likert- type scale that ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating a poor consultant performance, 2 a fair performance, 3 an average performance, 4 an above-average performance, and 5 an outstanding performance. The SECC was completed by each consultant's supervisor. Because a rating of 4 on the SECC indicated above-average performance and because there were 10 items, a score of 40 or higher indicated that the supervisor considered the consultant effective.

The SECC is based on West and Cannon's (1987) Delphi study. On the consensus of 100 experts in the field of special education, school psychology, counseling, and organizational development, West and Cannon identified 47 consultant teacher competencies considered essential to effective consultation. Because a survey of 47 competencies was considered too large to administer, an adapted form was developed. The 47 competencies were ranked, and the top 10 were selected for the SECC. The cutoff score for selection was a rating of 3.9 on the original scale of 1 to 4. The competencies selected clustered in three categories: interactive communication, collaborative problem solving, and personal characteristics. West and Cannon granted permission for the adapta- tion. A Spearman-Brown analysis reliability coefficient of .97 was obtained. Item validity was established by West and Cannon.

Design

We addressed two questions: Were there sigruficant relations between the four leadership styles from the LEAD-Self and the consultant teachers' effectiveness ratings, and were there significant relations between the four personality-index preferences of the MBTI and consultant teacher effectiveness? A simple linear regression was used to address the first question. The leadership score was the independent variable and the consultant teachers' effectiveness score was the dependent variable. To address the second question, a simple linear regression and a stepwise regression were used. The independent variables were the four personality-index preferences, and the dependent variable was the consultant teachers' effectiveness score.

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Procedure

At the initiation of the study, the participating consultants attended monthly training sessions conducted by two special education professors from a nearby college. Thus, they were trained in the same consultation model by the same trainers.

The model taught was the collaborative-consultation model. In this model, people work together to solve problems and to enhance educational outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The process involves equal relationships and the sharing of ideas, responsibilities, and resources. It requires teamwork, group decision making, and empow- ered participants. Those closest to enacting the decisions must be those most involved in making the decisions.

Data were collected after the completion of training and the delivery of consultant services for 1 or more years. Before training began, participating consultant teachers completed the LEAD-Self and the MBTI. At the end of the school year, the consultants' supervisors rated the consultant teachers' effectiveness on the SECC. The supervisors regularly observed the consultants as they worked with teachers. The supervisors participated in the same training and were also certified by the state as supervisors.

Training consisted of six full-day sessions, one per month. Training was designed and delivered by the two college professors, Drs. Bonnie Staebler and Bonnie Young. Session 1 was devoted to an overview of the model, the relationship between the consultee and the consultant, the research basis of the model, the major principles of adult learning theory, and the importance of leadership style to effective outcomes. Session 2 hiwghted the change process and the communication process that affects site-based consultation. The Concerns Based Adoption Model (Hall, 1978) was used to identlfy concerns of the consultee. Communi- cation strategies that best met the needs of the consultee were then proposed. Session 3 emphasized problem-solving approaches. Vignettes were designed, and participants identified concerns, communication styles, and the actions best designed to enhance position outcomes. Session 4 focused on team processes. Activities were presented that emphasized the importance of trust, involvement, alignment, mission, and structural integrity to the consulting process. Session 5 was devoted to curriculum modifications that classroom teachers could use to assist students in reading, math, and written expression. Study skills related to taking tests, taking notes, identlfying key concepts, and organizing assignments were also stressed. Session 6 focused on documenting the model. Logs were developed, timelines discussed, building plans gen-

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erated, and individualized education plans (IEPs) updated to reflect an emphasis on consultation (see Table 1).

Data Analysis

Data were analyzed with the Statistical Interactive Programming System (Nie, Hull, Jenkins, Steinbrenner, & Brent, 1975). A simple linear- regression analysis for leadership styles and consultant teacher effectiveness and a stepwise regression analysis of effectiveness and the MBTI score were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Four simple linear regressions were completed. The consultant teacher effectiveness score was the dependent variable and the leadership style

TABLE 1 Training Curriculum

1. Overview of consultation Principles of adult learning theory Comparison of roles of the consultant and the direct-service provider Related research findings Leadership styles

2. The change process Levels of concern Communication styles and their effect on consultation, self, and others

3. Application of theory to the consulting process Elements of problem solving

4. Effective team processes Trust activities Involvement of group members Ground rules Mission statements

5. Curriculum modifications Reading Math Writing outcomes Study skills Memory processes

6. Data-collection procedures Developing a building plan Individualized Education Plan development Timelines Logs

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EFFECTWE CONSULTANTS 283

scores were the independent variables. The probability values attained for these regressions were not significant. In other words, there was no sigruficant relation between the consultant teachers' leadership styles and the supervisor perceptions of their effectiveness. Raw scores indicated that selling and participating styles were the leadership styles that were most often used by consultant teachers.

To determine the relations among the personality preferences and the consultant teacher effectiveness rating, a simple linear regression was completed that uses the four personality preferences. The SN mode emerged as sigruficant. A coefficient of determination of .I476 was obtained, indicating that almost 15% of the variability in success was explained by the SN mode (see Table 2).

A stepwise regression was used to explore the strength of the variance (see Table 3). Nearly 28% ( R ~ = .2785) of the variability in effectiveness of consultant teachers was attributed to the combination of EI and SN. By itself, the EI variable did not account for a significant amount of variance. When the EI variable combined with the SN variable, a sigruficant amount of variance was determined. Both the EI and SN modes yielded positive regression coefficients. This suggested that when consultants were both data based (sensing) and outgoing (extra- verted), their supervisors perceived them as more effective. No significant interaction between EI and SN was discovered, and JI' and TF were not found to make significant contributions. This suggests that the outward orientation of the extravert and the data-based decision making of the sensing type is perceived by supervisors as constituting an effective personality for special education consultants.

DISCUSSION

In the past, educators assumed that service for students with special needs could best be provided in special classes. Today, more educators

TABLE 2 Relation Between Personality Preferences and Consultant Teacher Effectiveness

Personality Preference P R2

Extrovert-Introvert Sensing-Intuitive Thinking-Feeling Judging-Perceiving

Note. Asterisked p value was significant.

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TABLE 3 Stepwise Regression Analysis of Consultant Teacher Effectiveness and the

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Personality Preferences

step Variable Entered P R2

sensing-intuition extravert-introvert judging-perceiving

are beginning to think that regular classrooms can become more effective for all students, including those with special needs, when regular and special educators work cooperatively. If collaboration is successful, students with disabilities do not need to be removed from their peers. Through the consultant teacher model, teachers can support each other by discussing students' problems, providing instructional suggestions and support, and increasing one another's skills and comfort in working with students with disabilities. It is posited that such cooperative ventures require equal relationships among professionals, mutual trust, open communication, joint approaches to problem iden- tification, pooling of resources, and shared responsibility in the imple- mentation and evaluation process (Brown, Wyne, Blackburn, & Powell, 1979).

Given the central role of consultants in making mainstreaming successful, it is important to understand what makes consulting teachers effective. We examined whether leadership styles and personality modes relate to consultation effectiveness. If hiring consultants with particular leadership styles or personality characteristics could improve consultation effectiveness, these factors should be considered in choosing prospective consultants. If certain styles of leadership are more effective than others, institutions that train teachers should include such information in their consultant training programs.

Although this study was limited by a small sample and less-than- perfect instruments, and was dependent on the perceptions of the supervisors rather than on the observations of consultants in action and on student and teacher outcomes, the data suggest that (a) there is no significant relation between leadership styles (telling, selling, participating, or delegating) and effective consultation, and (b) there is a slight relation between the personality-index preferences of consultant teachers and their effectiveness. Consultant teachers who categorized themselves as sensing were rated significantly more effective than those who categorized themselves as intuitive.

It is important to note that when the sensing and the extravert

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variables were combined, they accounted for 28% of the variance. This suggests that the combination of sensing and extravert scores was a good predictor of supervisor perceptions of consultant effectiveness. The sensing variable was the single most signrficant factor yielded by the MBTI. In other words, supervisors consider sensing consulting teachers to be significantly more effective than their intuitive counterparts. Supervisors viewed the realistic, factual, and pragmatic approach of the data-based sensing individual to be more effective than the spontaneous, creative, and enthusiastic approach of the intuitive consulting teacher. According to Briggs Myers (1980), sensing individuals see the world through their senses. Facts are important to them. Literal mean- ing, detail, and exact recall may help these consultant teachers to appear effective. They break information into small pieces of facts and work tenaciously through a problem to reach a conclusion (Myers & Myers, 1983).

Consultant teachers whose personality-index preference was both sensing and extravert were deemed by their supervisors to be more effective in working collaboratively than other personality combina- tions. Myers and Myers (1983) described extraverts as individuals who expressed thoughts and ideas through talking or doing. They like action and are outwardly emotional and expressive. In creative problem- solving situations such as the collaborative consultant model, the extravert consultant teacher is likely to communicate and act to carry out solutions to the problem.

IMPLICATIONS

Although there is a need for replication of the study with larger samples, to further validate the instrumentation and to assess consultation effectiveness in terms of teacher and student outcomes, we offer some tentative conclusions. When hiring consultant teachers, school districts should consider the information gained from personality-type scales as additional information in the interviewing process. Once hired, inservice for consultant teachers should emphasize skill development in group processing, teambuilding, interaction patterns, and trust building. These skills may not receive adequate emphasis in college and in university training programs. Colleges should consider data from personality preference instruments to identlfy students most suitable for consultant training. In addition, coursework should incorporate oral and written communication skills, data-based decision making, listen- ing, and feedback skills.

Despite the distinct limitations of this study, it is clear that consultant

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training programs need to identlfy the individuals that are most likely to be effective consultants for mainstreamed students and their teachers. Research in leadership style and personality preferences may provide information helpful to the selection process.

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investigating leadership styles, personality preferences, and effective teacher consultation

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