CPSQ For Teachers

Improving trainee teacher retention
by analysing personality styles
The research project
In the UK, trainee teachers undertake

a challenging postgraduate “ Not only does the
programme of academic study and PERSONALISED, RELATIONAL, ETHICAL CPSQ help trainees
structured school-based training,
and although most go on to become reflect on their own
successful teachers, not all complete the course. Trainee retention has behaviour styles
therefore become a serious issue for the teaching profession, leading to a
greater emphasis on early identification of less robust trainees in order to and needs, it also
ensure the right support is provided at the right time. allows us to make
This strategy is being explored in a five-year research programme early, targeted
commissioned by leading teacher training provider Suffolk and Norfolk
School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) and delivered by Cambridge interventions. ”
Assessment Admissions Testing, the Relationships Foundation and The
Open University.
The Suffolk and Norfolk SCITT is currently using the Cambridge Personal Contact us
Styles Questionnaire® (CPSQ) for teachers (designed and developed by
Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing
Admissions Testing) as part of its trainee induction process. The CPSQ The Triangle Building
measures ‘non-cognitive’ factors or personal styles of behaving in order Shaftesbury Road
to understand how an individual approaches tasks, relates to others and Cambridge
copes with demands. This allows trainers to identify those behavioural CB2 8EA
competencies that can impact on performance and wellbeing. It can be United Kingdom
used to target and tailor training and support more accurately. Trainees admissionstesting@
complete the CPSQ in around 20–40 minutes, online and on demand, cambridgeassessment.org.uk
with results delivered instantly via an online platform, and across seven
competency areas including ‘coping with demands’, ‘person-centred
communication’ and ‘self-management’.
About Suffolk and Interim findings have proved very interesting. For example, when the
Norfolk School Centred CPSQ was used to compare trainee profiles, those who withdrew from the
Initial Teacher Training course recorded low scores across most behavioural competency areas,
(SCITT) especially ‘coping with demands’. Those classified as ‘strongest’, however,
reported significantly higher CPSQ scores for competencies such as ‘self-
The largest SCITT in the country, management’ and ‘person-centred communication’.
providing a range of school-
based routes into teaching for Anna Richards, Executive Leader at the Suffolk and Norfolk SCITT, is
around 220 trainees who are impressed with the trial so far: ‘The CPSQ has helped us gain a greater
supported on courses leading insight into our trainees and their styles of behaviour and has helped
to careers in primary and inform how we support them,’ she comments. ‘Not only does the CPSQ
secondary education. help trainees reflect on their own behaviour styles and needs, it also allows
us to make early, targeted interventions. For example, if a trainee’s answers
About CPSQ suggest they may have an issue with ‘coping with demands’ we have made
sure that they work with a particularly experienced and supportive personal
The Cambridge Personal tutor and mentor.’
Styles Questionnaire (CPSQ)
is designed to assess an Anna’s team is also trialling improvements made to the online platform
individual’s values and in order to make the CPSQ easier to use: ‘The platform now is much
behaviours, with the results used more user friendly and intuitive than its previous version. The facility to
to support employee selection,
automatically send reminder emails to trainees has proved a real time
retention and development
saver. The team at Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing are also very
strategies. Specific versions of
the CPSQ report have been responsive and answer any queries.’
developed for admissions staff
working in higher education, Personalised teacher training
for healthcare employers and
trainers, and for teachers and This study is thought to be
“
teacher trainers. the first in the UK to link
personality traits and associated We now hope that
About Cambridge behavioural competencies with our findings can be
Assessment Admissions teacher retention. It shows
Testing that tools such as the CPSQ used practically,
We are part of the University
can act as an early warning to personalise on-
system for trainers, while also
of Cambridge and have been helping trainees develop those boarding for example,
working with UK and worldwide personal capabilities likely to
universities, governments support course participation and
and to underpin
and employers for more than
15 years. Our admissions
retention. Commenting on the proactive pastoral
research, Lyn Dale, Admissions
assessments and personal
Testing Assessment Psychologist
care and mentoring
”
styles analyses are a global
mark of excellence that set the and Senior Assessment initiatives.
quality standard, and provide Manager, said: ‘This has been a
a fair measure of skills that great opportunity to combine
help employers make informed the expertise of all research collaborators, and I am proud to say that
decisions and enhance their Admission Testing’s participation has offered new insights into the risk
selection processes. factors involved in trainee retention and withdrawal. We now hope that our
findings can be used practically, to personalise on-boarding for example,
and to underpin proactive pastoral care and mentoring initiatives.’
Find out more

admissionstesting.org
admissions-testing
/admissionstesting
@admissionstests
Copyright © UCLES 2020 | CER/6577/V1l/JUL20

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Improving trainee teacher retention

by analysing personality styles

The research project

In the UK, trainee teachers undertake

Find out more

Copyright © UCLES 2020 | CER/6577/V1l/JUL20

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