Evaluating Prospects: The Criteria Used to Hire New Teachers

Authors

  • Jerome Cranston University of Manitoba

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v58i3.55627

Keywords:

Teacher selection, Personnel management, Educational Leadership

Abstract

Teacher hiring decisions have far-reaching effects. Accordingly, it is important that prospective teachers be scrutinized carefully. The process that yields new teacher hires also deserves careful analysis. This article reports on key findings derived from a larger study that examined the overall organization of the hiring process and how criteria were weighted in both the screening and selection phases of the process throughout school divisions in Manitoba, Canada. The study, which used a Likert-like scale questionnaire, obtained information from superintendents in three-quarters of Manitoba’s school divisions. Using a multi-criteria decision making analysis approach, the findings suggest three general themes, namely: (a) there is significant variation among divisions regarding the degree of centralization of hiring, (b) evaluations made during interviews are the most important factor in deciding whom to hire, and (c) orthodox measures of academic proficiency are de-emphasized. The findings suggest that while candidates obviously deserve careful scrutiny, so too does the process that purports to yield the best results from any given group of applicants.

Les décisions relatives à l’embauche de personnel enseignement engendrent des conséquences de grande ampleur. Il est donc important d’examiner minutieusement les dossiers des candidats. Le processus menant à l’embauche de nouveaux enseignants mérite également une analyse attentive. Cet article présente les principaux résultats tirés d’une plus grande étude ayant porté sur l’organisation globale du processus d’embauche et explique l’évaluation des critères lors de la phase d’examen préliminaire et celle de sélection dans les divisions scolaires du Manitoba, au Canada. L’étude a eu recours à  un questionnaire avec échelle de Likert pour obtenir des renseignements de la part de surintendants dans les trois-quarts des divisions scolaires du Manitoba. L’application à la prise de décisions d’une méthode d’analyse multicritères a débouché sur des résultats qui révèlent trois thèmes généraux, notamment : (a) il existe une différence significative entre les divisions quant au degré de centralisation de l’embauche, (b) les évaluations réalisées durant les entrevues constituent le facteur le plus important dans la prise de décisions quant au candidat à embaucher, et (c) on ne met pas l’accent sur les mesures orthodoxes du rendement scolaire. Les conclusions portent à croire que si les candidats méritent évidemment un examen minutieux, le processus qui prétend tirer les meilleurs résultats à partir d’un groupe donné de candidats doit également faire l’objet d’une analyse rigoureuse.

Author Biography

Jerome Cranston, University of Manitoba

Jerome Cranston is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba, teaching, researching and writing in the area of educational administration with a focus on the ethics of personnel management and school leadership, and organizational culture and behaviour. Formerly, he worked as a superintendent and deputy superintendent as well as being a teacher and principal. 

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How to Cite

Cranston, J. (2012). Evaluating Prospects: The Criteria Used to Hire New Teachers. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 58(3), 350–367. https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v58i3.55627

Issue

Vol. 58 No. 3 (2012): Fall

Section

ARTICLES

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