University instructors who attended a workshop Wednesday called “What Kind of Teacher are You?” learned about their teaching styles and that there is more than one right way to be a good teacher.

Twelve instructors took tests that showed them which one of the five teaching styles they most exhibit and exercise to help them better students’ learning experiences.

This workshop was part of a better-teaching series presented by the Center for Faculty Development.

The majority of teachers hold one or two dominant traits of the five good teaching perspectives — transmission, apprenticeship, developmental, nurturing and social reform — instructional consultant Arthur Crawley said.

Instructors who have transmission perspectives are concerned with mastery of the course content.

Teachers with apprenticeship perspectives engage students with guidance and direction.

Teachers with developmental perspectives help learners develop their comprehension, and teachers with nurturing perspectives care about students and want them to learn without fear of failure.

Instructors with social reform perspectives want to awaken students’ values to reform society.

Students also have different learning styles, Crawley said. Students whose learning styles match their instructors’ teaching styles often perform better.

When professors understand what their teaching styles are, they can state that at the beginning of the course and help students understand the instructors’ objectives, Crawley said.

Most teachers who take the test have transmission perspectives, Crawley said.

Social reform perspective is the most rare, Crawley said. Some departments in the University require teachers and prospective teachers to submit a five-page personal philosophy of teaching that outlines their focus and role in the teaching system.

More departments are leaning toward this requirement, Crawley said.

Teachers who know and understand their perspectives can better formulate a philosophy of teaching.

Different courses often call for different teaching perspectives, Crawley said.

Instructors who teach science and math generally have transmission perspectives.

Renewable natural resources Associate Professor Cornelis De Hoop tested as having an apprenticeship perspective.

“Apprenticeships are important for agriculture,” De Hoop said. “Students have to learn by doing.”

Teachers who complete the questionnaires can determine if they have inconsistencies among their beliefs, intentions and actions.

Instructors are encouraged to examine what might explain these differences.

The questionnaire offers explanations for inconsistencies — job constraints, philosophical inconsistencies or unclear departmental expectations.

Students and instructors can take the questionnaire online at www.one45.com/

teaching perspectives.