Examining Canadian Teacher's Perceptions of the Importance of Cognitive Abilities in the Classroom

Abstract

The current study examined the perceptions of pre-service and in-service teachers of the importance of different Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) cognitive abilities in the classroom. The sample included 227 pre-service teachers from the University of Alberta and 44 in-service teachers from the St. Albert Catholic School district. Reliability (Coefficient alpha), and the mean level of importance was calculated for the responses of the two groups. An independent samples t-test evaluated whether there were significant differences in the ratings of the two groups. Finally, Within- Subject ANOVA evaluated whether the ratings for the level of importance differed significantly within each group. The results indicated that both the pre-service and the in-service teachers perceived Fluid Reasoning (Gf) as one of the most important predictors of student success in the classroom, followed by Crystallized Ability (Gc), Quantitative Ability (Gq), and Visual Processing (Gv). The results from the independent samples t-test displayed no significant differences in mean ratings between the two groups on all of the cognitive abilities. Implications for teaching practice as well as teacher-psychologist consultation are discussed.