Comparing Teaching to Other Occupations
  Three Evaluation Approaches (Adapted From Gigerenzer, 1999.*)
  © 2008 Edward G. Rozycki
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edited 4/15/14
This instrument helps to systematically review the factors affecting a change of occupation. See directions below.


Indicate Job Transition
(Cross out to or  from)
to

from
(Other Occupation)
to

from
TEACHING
FACTORS

For Method One: (Indicate pos/neg, IMP, importance and PRE, prevalence or probability).
+/-
IMP

0 to 3

PRE

0 to 3

+/-

IxP
+/-
IMP

0 to 3

PRE

0 to 3

+/-

IxP
For Method Two: Weighting is 1 or O, for all factors. Ignore Probabilities. Just Add and choose highest sum. ignore 0 or 1 ignore ignore ignore 0 or 1 ignore ignore

For Method Three: Pick a Few of the Factors Most Important to You.

For each factor, compare the Other Occupation with Teaching for that Factor. Give 1 to that Occupation which best satisfies that factor. Pick highest sum.

 ignore 0 or 1 ignore ignore ignore 0 or 1 ignore ignore
1. Potential earnings                
2. Stress                
3. Long hours on the job                
4. Work taken home                
5. Long vacations                
6. Boredom                
7. Autonomy                
8. Physical comfort                
9. Enjoyable work                
10. Socially useful work                
11. Job status                
12. Confinement to workplace                
13. Cost of credentials needed                
14. Need to travel                
15. Job security                
16. Intellectual stimulation                
17. Sense of accomplishment                
18. Exposure to danger                
19. Accommodates family life                
20. Relaxed atmosphere                
21. Copious resources                
22. Opportunity for self-expression                
23. Perks or extras                
24. Skills development possible                
25. Public acclaim                
26. Physical work                
27. Contact with children                
28. Time of day worked                
29. "Cleaning up others' messes"                
30. Being "on call"                
SUMS (OF FACTOR PRODUCTS)
        


Expanded Directions

Method One: All Factors with Weights and Probabilities:

On the chart above you are asked to indicate whether you are contemplating entering or leaving teaching, and the occupation you would be leaving to go into. You are given a list of factors. You will asked to designate each factor as either positive (+) or negative (-). You are asked to indicate how important each factor is to you, using the following scale:

0 = not at all important; 1= not very important; 2= somewhat important; 3= very important.


You are also asked to indicate how prevalent (probable) you perceive that factor to be, using

0 = not at all prevalent; 1= not very prevalent; 2= somewhat prevalent; 3= very prevalent.

After you have given a positive or negative value to each factor, and filled in the value of its importance and the value of its prevalence, you will compute a final value for that factor by multiplying its importance by its prevalence and giving it the appropriate sign, + or -/ Sum up the factors for each of the two occupations. The most positive score is your computed preference. (see questions and assumptions below)

Method 2: Evaluate all Factors: Ignore Probabilities, Use only 0 or 1 as weights. Highest sum indicates preference.

Method 3: Evaluate only a few of the factors most important to you. Ignore probabilities. Use 0 or 1 as weights. Choose highest sum.

__________________________________________


Questions after having done chart:

Is the computed preferred occupation different from what you intuitively feel is right? If so, check the factors for items that you feel may have contributed to a bad result.

Are there factors that would influence your decision that have been left off the chart?

Would you have gotten a different result had you filled in these charts five years ago? Why?

__________________________________________

Assumptions made in the process of analysis and computation. (These may be false.)

Judgments of importance, both in sign and size, are constant even though context changes.

Importance from item to item does not change drastically, e.g. some might be very much bigger another.

Factors don't interact with one another, nor does their order of consideration matter.

__________________________________________

*Reference Gigerenzer, et al. Simple Heuristics that Make Us Smart. Oxford. 1999. page 143. Decision Strategies.
See "Types of Heuristics" for a quick overview chart of Gigerenzer's and Selten's heuristics types and comparison with standard computational methods. Available at TYPESofHEURISTICS.html

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