Northern Kentucky University
Can Authentic, Anonymous Feedback on Eight Personality Factors Provide Useful Information Regarding “Fit” for Undergraduates Exploring Careers in the Helping Professions?
Institution
Northern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
M. Mark Wasicsko
Abstract
This study investigated the differences between self-perceptions of undergraduate students exploring careers in teaching and the perception of others (critical friends) as means to assist them in determining career “fit.” An individual’s dispositions influence how effective that individual is in a helping profession. Individuals who wish to change their dispositions to become more effective have to first be able to have insight into their strengths and challenges. This is very difficult to accomplish through self-reflection alone. One needs to know how people in his or her life perceive her or him and come to grips with what might cause any differences. We created a website (www.howoldisyoursoul.org) to provide a neutral space in which people can provide private, anonymous and authentic feedback regarding their perception of the participant. A web-based survey was created to collect self and critical friends’ perceptions on eight dispositional characteristics associated with effective helping professionals—dependable, good friend, sense of humor, considerate, hardworking, role model, caring, and patient. Participants filled out the survey. Critical friends then anonymously answered the same questions about the participant. When 10 or more critical friends filled out the survey, a graph was generated that compared the participant’s answers to those of the aggregate of critical friends’ for each of the personal attributes. A short time after receiving the results, participants were asked to fill out a survey on which they indicated if it was helpful in making a decision regarding a career in teaching and what they learned from the experience. These data were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the approach to providing feedback.
Can Authentic, Anonymous Feedback on Eight Personality Factors Provide Useful Information Regarding “Fit” for Undergraduates Exploring Careers in the Helping Professions?
This study investigated the differences between self-perceptions of undergraduate students exploring careers in teaching and the perception of others (critical friends) as means to assist them in determining career “fit.” An individual’s dispositions influence how effective that individual is in a helping profession. Individuals who wish to change their dispositions to become more effective have to first be able to have insight into their strengths and challenges. This is very difficult to accomplish through self-reflection alone. One needs to know how people in his or her life perceive her or him and come to grips with what might cause any differences. We created a website (www.howoldisyoursoul.org) to provide a neutral space in which people can provide private, anonymous and authentic feedback regarding their perception of the participant. A web-based survey was created to collect self and critical friends’ perceptions on eight dispositional characteristics associated with effective helping professionals—dependable, good friend, sense of humor, considerate, hardworking, role model, caring, and patient. Participants filled out the survey. Critical friends then anonymously answered the same questions about the participant. When 10 or more critical friends filled out the survey, a graph was generated that compared the participant’s answers to those of the aggregate of critical friends’ for each of the personal attributes. A short time after receiving the results, participants were asked to fill out a survey on which they indicated if it was helpful in making a decision regarding a career in teaching and what they learned from the experience. These data were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the approach to providing feedback.