What characterizes an “excellent teacher”?: the students’ perspective

Abstract

This paper presents the most relevant results of a study dealing with the perception that Primary Education students have of what characterizes an excellent teacher. Among other aims, we have tried to identify what attributes, skills or values are found to be characteristic of close-toexcellent teachers. We have also studied the impact such teachers have on their students. From a methodological perspective, the most valuable aspect of this research is its open and interactive nature. This is so because such characteristics have been related to the influence that the students believe teachers have on them. The conclusions corroborate the well-known fact that there is no unique and ideal teacher model. The profile we have obtained characterizes the teacher as close to the student, sensitive, demanding, and enthusiastic, and also as having good skills for didactic communication, interaction, and planning, as well as a good control of the teaching/learning process and of evaluation.