The Negative Impact of Negative Role-models on Teaching

Abstract

The attitude of teachers towards students can vary substantially in relation to different factors, such as educational background, pedagogical training, teaching methods, etc. In this paper, we explore the impact of negative role-models on future teaching. In particular, past experiences of teachers as students as well as the contextual influence of other teachers on their future teaching has been explored. The scope of this paper is to assess the possible impact that negative role-models may have on teaching performance, methods and quality. While the positive impact of positive role-models have been deeply investigated in the literature, the study of the impact of negative role-models is somewhat controversial. To investigate the positive impact of negative role-models, the key factors involved in the influence of role-models are presented and discussed through a set of case studies. Recommendations to address problematic cases are also presented.