Cómo son y qué hacen los “maestros excelentes”: la opinión de los estudiantes

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.En este artículo se presentan los resultados más relevantes de una investigación en la que se analiza la percepción que tienen los estudiantes de Educación Primaria acerca de los maestros excelentes. Entre otros objetivos, se ha tratado de identificar cualidades, competencias o valores de los docentes que los caracterizan como próximos a la excelencia, así como de recoger los efectos que éstos ejercen sobre sus estudiantes. En cuanto al planteamiento metodológico, lo más valioso del trabajo es la dinámica abierta e interactiva del proceso de estudio, ya que se han relacionado dichas características con los efectos que en su propia opinión producen sobre ellos. Las conclusiones vienen a corroborar que no existe un modelo único e ideal de maestro. El perfil que se ha obtenido lo caracteriza como cercano al alumno, sensible, exigente y entusiasta, con competencias para la comunicación didáctica, la interacción, la planificación y gestión de la enseñanza/aprendizaje y la evaluación

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

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