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Psychological and Contextual Influences on the Teacher Selection Interview: A Model for Future Research

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Abstract

Within the K-12 educational arena, interviews are a required component of the selection process and represent the most popular predictor for hiring teachers (Castetter & Young, 2000). Noticeably absent from empirical examination is the psychological interplay between interviewers and interviewees during the face-to-face teacher selection interview. While some research has identified potential ways in which isolated psychological variables affect hiring decisions, there has been little systematic investigation of how such variables, combined, influence the face-to-face teacher selection interview process. To begin filling a research void that exists in face-to-face teacher interviewing, this paper will: (a) review relevant literature on the selection interview and psychological variables' (e.g., similarity and attraction, likeability, perceived expertness) effects on the interview process, (b) apply findings of psychological research to the teacher selection interview (dyad vs. panel format), (c) propose a model that integrates these various influences, and (d) outline research directions that would allow for empirical validation of the proposed model.

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Delli, D.A., Vera, E.M. Psychological and Contextual Influences on the Teacher Selection Interview: A Model for Future Research. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education 17, 137–155 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:PEEV.0000032425.42878.f3

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