Who is Learning Happier: Profiles of Pre-service Teachers’ Personality Traits and Relationship with Learning Well-being

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 3:45 pm - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: We Shall Not Be Moved: Honoring Identities, Motivations, and Well-Being in Teacher Preparation and Development

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between pre-service teachers' personality traits and their learning well-being, based on data from 13,741 first-year students in teacher education programs in China. By applying a person-centered approach, the study identifies three distinct personality profiles—Maladaptive, Adaptive, and Highly Adaptive—characterized by varying levels of the Big Five personality traits. These profiles are significantly associated with differences in learning well-being, as measured by the PERMA model’s dimensions: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. The findings underscore the importance of considering personality traits in teacher education, providing valuable insights into how dispositional factors shape learning outcomes and offering implications for improving educational practices and policies.

Authors

• Xingzhou Wang, Beijing Normal University

• peili yuan, 北京师范大学

• Xinwei Wang

• Huan Song, Beijing Normal University