A Longitudinal Comparison of the Academic, Affective, and Personal Characteristics of Persisters and Nonpersisters in Teacher Preparation

This study was designed to ascertain whether differences exist among the academic, affective, and personal characteristics of teacher-education persisters and nonpersisters. The subjects comprised a longitudinal sample of about 550 teacher candidates entering teacher preparation at one institution. After 5 years from the commencement of their training, 357 (65%) of these individuals had persisted through their teacher training, and attrition from teacher training increased the quality of the remaining pool of teacher candidates. Teacher training persisters earned higher university grade point averages, developed higher levels of basic academic skills, expressed fewer concerns about the task of teaching, and reported a more positive attitude toward teaching as a career than did nonpersisters.