An instrument to elicit teachers' beliefs and assumptions

Abstract

Teachers' beliefs influence the acceptance and uptake of new approaches, techniques, and activities, and therefore play an important part in teacher development. Consequently, trainers running teacher education courses should consider encouraging participants to think about their personal beliefs and theories about teaching before providing input. This article proposes the use of an instrument designed to elicit teachers' beliefs based on Kelly's (1969) theory of personal constructs, using an adapted version of his repertory grid technique.