The role of teacher characteristics for instructional quality: A meta-analysis

Research has examined the relationships between individual teacher characteristics and instructional quality. This meta-analysis synthesized 2122 bivariate correlation coefficients from 197 publications to investigate the role and relative importance of a broad variety of teacher characteristics for instructional quality. Three-level meta-analyses as well as moderator analyses were conducted, and a meta-analytical structural equation model for the prediction of cognitive activation, learning support, and classroom management by professional knowledge, beliefs, motivational orientations, and occupational self-regulation was estimated. The analyses showed that most teacher characteristics are related to at least one dimension of instructional quality, though the estimated coefficients were small to moderate. Some cross-country differences and variations depending on the operationalization of variables were identified, though no single moderator played a consistent role across all relationships. Overall, while relationships between teacher characteristics and dimensions of instructional quality are well-researched, they are not as strong or consistent as theoretical frameworks might suggest. This meta-analysis highlights the critical role of teacher characteristics in shaping instructional quality. Professional knowledge, beliefs, and motivational orientations show significant but heterogeneous relations with these dimensions, while research on the relationship between occupational self-regulation and instructional quality remains limited. For educational practice, the findings highlight the relevance of certain teacher characteristics with respect to instructional quality, while highlighting a need for differentiation and for further evidence concerning the assumed importance of other teacher characteristics. Crucially, moderator analyses suggest that these relationships are largely consistent across different contexts, providing general insights for teacher education and professional development. In particular, the findings help identify teacher characteristics as targets for interventions to enhance instructional quality, thereby supporting evidence-based improvements in teaching. • Meta-analyses provide evidence from 2122 correlations from 197 publications. • Multiple teacher characteristics are related to instructional quality. • Professional knowledge is less relevant for instructional quality than expected. • Motivational orientations predict all dimensions of instructional quality. • There is limited evidence for context-specific variations in these relationships.