The Teaching Perspectives Inventory at 10 Years and 100,000 Respondents

Abstract

The Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI) measures teachers’ profiles on five contrasting views of what it means “to teach.” The inventory can be used in aiding self-reflection, developing statements of teaching philosophy, engendering conversations about teaching, and recognizing legitimate variations on excellence in teaching. Available at www.TeachingPerspectives.com , the TPI is a free, self-report, self-scoring inventory that promotes a pluralistic understanding of teaching and equips respondents with a more explicit vocabulary for reflecting on their own teaching and that of others. Ten years of accumulated responses for more than 100,000 respondents in more than 100 countries has provided a rich data bank for analysis of the instrument’s reliability, validity, and utility in promoting conversations about teaching that are respectful of disciplinary and professional signature pedagogies as well as cultural and social variations on how teaching is understood and valued.