AUP Research Journal | ISSN 1655-5619 6

Personal Attributes and Teaching Performance as Mediated by

Core Competencies of Nurse Educators: Basis for Human
Resource Training and Retention Program
Rima Nepangue-Seaman, Gracel Ann Saban, Jolly Balila,
Jane Rodriguez, Romeo Barrios

Abstract

T
his study aimed to identify nurse educators’ personal attributes and their
relationship to teaching performance as mediated by their core competencies,
as a basis for proposed human resource management recruitment and
training program. A descriptive-correlational design purposively utilized 178 nurse
educators from 11 nursing schools in the Philippines. Findings revealed that nurse
educators’ personal attributes in terms of self-efficacy, loyalty, and communication skills
were very good. The extent of teaching performance was very good in terms of teaching
methodology, knowledge of the subject matter, use of instructional materials, and
classroom management. They were highly competent in terms of facilitating learning
and socialization, quality improvement and scholarship, safe and quality nursing care,
and collaboration and teamwork. Their personal attribute was significantly related to
their core competencies. Core competencies and personal attributes were significantly
related to teaching performance. Personal attribute (loyalty), core competencies
(collaboration and teamwork, and safe and quality nursing practice) and moderator
variable (years of service) significantly predicted teaching performance. There was a
significant relationship between personal attributes and teaching performance as
mediated by the core competencies, resulting to a good, acceptable model fit, and a
need for a human resource training and retention program.

Keywords: personal attributes, teaching performance core competencies

An efficient educator contributes greatly to the
life of a student and the institution. The quality of
an educational organization is highly dependent
on its prime movers and this poses a challenge
to school leadership particularly the human re-
source. Effective programs are vital for faculty to
be satisfactorily engaged in their teaching, thus
nurse educators’ personal attributes, core com-
petencies, and teaching performance matter.
Mauri (2008) mentioned that nowadays,
assessing the quality of education in terms of
teaching performance is important and is intro-
duced into higher educational system worldwide.
In line with this, Allida (2005) said that improving
the quality is a main challenge of the Department
of Education and schools throughout the nation,
July 2016 | Vol. 19 No. 2
particularly in developing countries. She identi-
fied the challenges such as improving instruction-
al performance, insufficient instructional time,
and weak pupil performance.
In China and the United Kingdom, full-
time nurse educators experienced greater chal-
lenges in their teaching performance (Gui, Gu,
Barriball, & While, 2013). In their study, Chinese
nurse educators reported a very low level of
sense of coherence and professional identifica-
tion in their work while nurse educators in the
United Kingdom reported the highest role conflict
in their teaching performance.
In Portugal, for the last 20 years, nursing
education had undergone a number of changes
due to continuous teaching performance crises
 Personal Attributes and Teaching Performance as Mediated by Core Competencies of
7 Nurse Educators: Basis for Human Resource Training and Retention Program
(Mestrinho, 2014). Among these changes are
new academic pedagogical practices, new teach-
ing methods and strategies; curriculum, and
structural and organizational changes.
In the Philippines, Aquino (2003) said that
critical observers and various sectors of society
have articulated their strong concern for the need
to foster quality education in order to promote
quality teaching performance and quality super-
vision. Aquino further wrote that such observers
articulately focused and considered classroom in-
struction as one of the major considerations for
enhancing quality teaching performance.
A study by Britiller, Ramirex, Ramos,
Reyes, and Salazar (2014) among nurse clinical
instructors and students of Lyceum of the Phil-
ippines University Batangas revealed that the
teaching methodology of nurse educators en-
hances the affective domain of student nurses.
According to Hawranik and Thorpe (2008), nurse
educators face a myriad of teaching challenges in
their teaching performance. These teaching chal-
lenges include the increasing demand for the use
of instructional materials (e.g., technology) and
developing effective teaching core competencies.
The primary challenge facing nurse educators re-
mains as to how to guide effective instructional
and clinical teaching (Eta, Atanga, Atashili, & Cruz,
2011). Although nurse educators may or may not
attend an orientation process upon entering aca-
demia, many express distress over a lack of pre-
paredness and lack of knowledge of the subject
matter to conduct clinical learning (Cangelosi,
Crocker, & Sorrell, 2009).
Although it is necessary to have clinical
expertise, effective teaching performance also
requires knowledge and skills related to teaching
and learning as well as considering the education-
al environment (Luoma, 2013). Halstead (2007)
posited that it was essential to outline competen-
cies that are required for nurse educators to of-
fer a foundation for achieving nursing education
excellence in teaching performance. Thus, the
need to identify and guide nursing faculty to pre-
pare for the new role is crucial in retaining quality
nursing faculty.
It should be considered that the mission
and primary goal of nursing schools is to train
Vol. 19 No. 2 | July 2016
competent nursing students and thus to pro-
vide quality nursing services to patients (John-
son-Farmer & Frenn, 2009; Thornlow & McGuinn,
2010; Vanaki & Memarian, 2009), which is not
possible unless nursing schools are equipped
with competent nurse teachers. According to
Wolf, Bender, Beitz, Wieland, and Vito (2004), un-
derstanding the nurse educators’ roles must be
reflected in their teaching performance in terms
of teaching methodology, knowledge of subject
matter, use of instructional materials, and class-
room management. In doing so, teaching perfor-
mance may be enhanced.
With the nurse educators’ challenges in
the Philippines, there is a need to determine and
analyze their personal attributes and their teach-
ing performance as mediated by the core compe-
tencies that may address nurse educators’ issues.
Hence, the aim to achieve quality and excellence
in nursing education is to be addressed by the
proposed program.
Statement of the Problem
This study aimed to identify the personal
attributes of the nurse educators and their rela-
tionship to their teaching performance as medi-
ated by their core competencies. The results of
the analyses are a basis for the recruitment and
training program of the human resource. Specif-
ically, it sought to answer the following research
questions:
1. How do the respondents perceive their person-
al attributes in terms of:
a. self-efficacy
b. loyalty
c. communication skills?
2. How do the respondents perceive their teach-
ing performance in terms of:
a. teaching methodology
b. knowledge of subject matter
c. use of instructional materials
d. classroom management?
4. What is the level of the respondents’ core com-
petencies in terms of:
a. facilitating learning and socialization
b. quality improvement and scholarship
c. safe and quality nursing practice
d. collaboration and teamwork?

5. Is there a significant relationship between the
personal attributes and core competencies of
nurse educators?
6. Is there a significant relationship between
the core competencies and teaching perfor-
mance?
7. Do personal attributes, teaching core compe-
tencies, and moderator variables significantly
predict teaching performance?
8. Is there a significant relationship between the
personal attributes and the teaching perfor-
mance of nurse educators as mediated by
their teaching core competencies?
METHOD
Research Design
This study employed a non-experimen-
tal quantitative technique in exploring the rela-
tionships among variables. It utilized a descrip-
tive correlation type of research in which the
researcher observed the phenomena as they
occurred naturally and did not intervene in any
way. It examined the relationship between two
or more variables and the type and strength of
the relationship within a situation as explained by
Boswel and Cannon (2011) and Mitchell and Jol-
ley (2009). Descriptive design is used to examine
the characteristics of just one sample population
(Burns & Grove, 2009).
Population and Sampling
Purposive sampling method was utilized
in this study in choosing the respondents based
on the set criteria. A purposive sampling targets
a particular group of people especially when the
desired population for the study is rare, very dif-
ficult to locate and recruit for a study, or should
have specific characteristics (Burns & Groves,
2005). It is a non-probability sampling technique
in which subjects recruited meet specific criteria,
have equal chances of being included in the study
and thus the sample out of the target population
(Calderon & Gonzales, 2008).
The samples were composed of 178 reg-
ular nurse educators among 11 tertiary schools
in the Philippines. These tertiary institutions are
from the regions of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao
July 2016 | Vol. 19 No. 2
AUP Research Journal | ISSN 1655-5619 8
with nursing programs which are candidates for
accreditation and some were already accredited
Level 1 by the CHED in the Philippines. Fifteen
nursing schools were sought for data gathering
but due to some institutions’ regulations regard-
ing their research, one declined to participate.
Data which were received after the third week of
March were not included, thus a total of 11 nurs-
ing schools were included.
The set criteria which served as bases for
choosing the respondents who participated in
the study were: registered nurses who were em-
ployed in nursing schools and with one or more
years of regular or full time teaching and clinical
experience. Nurses who followed up students in
special areas such as operating room, delivery
room, out patient department, emergency and
dialysis unit were excluded since they were just
confined to clinical setting. Nurse educators who
only teach in the classroom for theory were also
not included in the study.
Instrumentation
A self-constructed questionnaire on per-
sonal attributes was used in this study. Questions
were based on the review of related literature
concepts. The items were subject to face and
content validation. The questionnaire was com-
posed of four parts following a short introduction
of the researcher and her purpose to conduct the
research.
There were 12 experts who validated the
questionnaire content. These particular experts
were comprised of eight nurse educators, one
hospital head nurse, one quality management
director, one university research director, and a
human resource director. A pilot study was con-
ducted among regular nurse educators of the
Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP) to
determine the reliability test.
Data Gathering Procedures
The study was conducted among ter-
tiary schools in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao
after permission from the schools was granted
to conduct the study. The researcher gathered
data among 178 nurse educators from selected
schools that met the selection criteria (nursing
 Personal Attributes and Teaching Performance as Mediated by Core Competencies of
9 Nurse Educators: Basis for Human Resource Training and Retention Program

colleges and universities in the Philippines which are non-accredited yet to accredited Level I by the
CHED, Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Accrediting Association (PACUCOA), and As-
sociation of Christian Schools Colleges and Universities (AACSCU).
The respondents were registered nurses who have worked as nurse educators with one or
more years of regular or full time teaching and clinical experience. They answered the coded ques-
tionnaires first. Distribution to the students followed and their questionnaires called for identifying
the nurse educator who has been with them in the classroom and in the clinical setting whom they
are going to evaluate. The researcher made sure that two to three students evaluated a certain nurse
educator.
To those whom the researcher could not personally reach, cooperation of the nursing deans
was sought to gather the questionnaire on the former’s behalf. It was intended that the gathering of
relevant information is with the sole purpose to attain good results without biases. The respondents
who voluntarily agreed signed a written consent. Completed questionnaires were mailed back to the
researcher through Luzon Brokerage Courier (LBC). Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Pack-
ages for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS).

Analysis of Data
Descriptive statistics specifically frequencies and percentages were used to determine and
describe the demographic profile of the respondents such as age, sex, marital status, educational at-
tainment, year level, and length of service. Mean and standard deviation were used to determine and
describe the extent of the nurse educators’ personal attributes, the level of their core competencies,
and teaching performance.
Regression was used to determine the relationships between core competencies and teaching
performance, personal attributes, and core competencies. T-test and ANOVA (Analysis of Variance)
were used to determine the difference in the teaching performance of the respondents considering
the moderator variable. The regression was used to determine the predictors of the personal attri-
butes, core competencies, and teaching performance. The discovery of mediating effect of core com-
petencies on personal attributes to teaching performance through Structural Equation Model (SEM)
was utilized through AMOS software.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This study determined the personal attributes and teaching performance as mediated by the
core competencies of nurse educators. The results were used as a basis for human resource training
and retention program.

Personal Attributes
Table 1 shows the personal attributes of the respondents. Nurse educators perceived that
their personal attributes in terms of self-efficacy, loyalty, and communication skills were very good
with an overall mean of 4.61 (SD =0.78). Paragas (as cited in Locke & Latham, 2002) mentioned that in
organizational psychological research, studies have revealed that individuals with high levels of self-ef-
ficacy set superior goals. Self-efficacy judgments play a part in determining which activities a person
will perform or not. They also perceived to be always loyal in their teaching performance. It is built on
relationships, shared understanding, and trust. Engagement requires loyalty, and fair treatment and
it can bring rewarding outcomes in the workplace (Biro, 2012). Further, the respondents always apply
communication skills in their teaching performance.

Vol. 19 No. 2 | July 2016

 AUP Research Journal | ISSN 1655-5619 10

Table 1
Overall Perception of Personal Attributes by the Respondents
Personal Attribute Mean SD Scaled Responses Verbal Interpretation
Self-Efficacy 4.52 0.60 Always Very Good
Loyalty 4.67 0.53 Always Very Good
Communication Skills 4.63 0.60 Always Very Good
Grand Mean 4.61 0.78 Always Very Good

Teaching Performance
The extent of teaching performance from 178 nurse educators measured the teaching meth-
odology, knowledge of the subject matter, use of instructional materials, and classroom management
(Table 2). The instructors’ role in assisting student nurses to reach professional excellence is very im-
portant (Sharif & Masoumi, 2005).
In this study, the teaching performance in all dimensions were very good with an overall mean
of 4.71 (SD=0.40). According to Salustiano, Rosalinda, and Parado (2003), higher education is of qual-
ity if it exemplifies the basic components of efficiency and effectiveness, quality and excellence, rel-
evance and responsiveness, and access and equity in the performance of its tasks in teaching and
instruction, research, and extension or community services.

Table 2
Teaching Performance of the Respondents
Teaching Performance Mean SD Scaled Responses Verbal Interpretation
Teaching Methodology 4.69 0.52 Always Very Good
Knowledge of the Subject Matter 4.73 0.46 Always Very Good
Use of Instructional Materials 4.67 0.57 Always Very Good
Classroom Management 4.76 0.45 Always Very Good
Overall 4.71 0.40 Always Very Good

Core Competencies
The level of teaching and nursing core competencies from 178 nurse educators was measured
in terms of facilitating learning and socialization, quality improvement and scholarship, scope and
quality of nursing practice, and collaboration and teamwork.

Table 3
Core Competencies of the Respondents
Core Competencies Mean SD Scaled Responses Verbal Interpretation
Facilitate Learning and Socialization 4.77 0.44 Strongly Agree Very Competent
Quality Improvement and Scholarship 4.55 0.65 Strongly Agree Very Competent
Safe and Quality Nursing Practice 4.70 0.58 Strongly Agree Very Competent
Collaboration and Teamwork 4.74 0.46 Strongly Agree Very Competent
Overall 4.69 0.98 Strongly Agree Very Competent

July 2016 | Vol. 19 No. 2

 Personal Attributes and Teaching Performance as Mediated by Core Competencies of
11 Nurse Educators: Basis for Human Resource Training and Retention Program
The results in Table 3 revealed that the respondents strongly agree that they facilitate learning
and socialization, quality improvement and scholarship, safe and quality nursing practice, and collabo-
ration and teamwork among students. These imply that they were very competent in their delegation
of the various dimensions of the core competencies (Overall mean = 4.69, SD= 0.98). According to
Halstead (2007), the Core Competencies for Nurse Educators were developed to describe the knowl-
edge, skills, and abilities needed to succeed in the nurse educator role. These postulate that as nurse
educators progress in numerous levels of skill acquisition, they become more socialized in their edu-
cator role.

Table 4
Relationship of Personal Attributes (Loyalty) to Core Competencies
(Facilitating Learning and Socialization)
Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
Std.
B Beta t Sig. R2 Change F Sig.
Error
3.550 0.323 0.212 2.873 0.000 8.256 0.005
Loyalty 0.198 0.069 0.005 0.212
R2 = 2.120%

Table 4 shows that loyalty significantly predict quality improvement and scholarship. Employ-
ee loyalty is actually the attitude of the employees to the community, thus it should be studied from
the employees’ cognition, emotion, and behavioral tendencies. It is viewed as an employee’s positive
connection or relationship to the organization. Also, it implies nurse educators’ willingness to contrib-
ute toward the accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives in terms of competencies (Bou
& Beltran, 2005).

Table 5
Relationship of Personal Attributes: Loyalty to Quality Improvement and Scholarship
Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
Std. R2
B Beta t Sig. F Sig.
Error Change
3.302 0.352 0.230 9.383 0.000 9.831 0.002
Loyalty 0.236 0.075 3.135 .023
R2 = 2.3%

In Table 5, it showed that there is a significant relationship between the personal attributes in
terms of loyalty and core competencies in terms of quality improvement and scholarship of nurse ed-
ucators. The overall finding of this study showed a 2.3% of variance accounted for by loyalty to quality
improvement and scholarship among the respondents.
The findings of Trivellas, Kakkos, and Reklitis (2010) suggest that improving job performance
and employee loyalty highly depends on teaching frontline employees new things on the job, nurtur-
ing their competencies, using a wide range of their abilities, providing for opportunities to do chal-
Vol. 19 No. 2 | July 2016
 AUP Research Journal | ISSN 1655-5619 12

lenging things and cultivating autonomy to take initiatives and to make more decisions at work. Thus,
loyalty plays an important factor to quality improvement and scholarship.

Table 6
Relationship of Personal Attributes: Loyalty to Safe and Quality Nursing Practice
Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
Std. R2
B Beta t Sig. F Sig.
Error Change
3.374 0.364 0.228 9.275 0.000 9.643 0.002
Loyalty 0.241 0.078 3.105 0.002 .0520
R = 5.2%
2

There is a significant relationship between the personal attributes and core competencies of
nurse educators. The overall finding of this study showed a 5.2% variance accounted for by loyalty to
quality improvement and scholarship among the respondents as presented in Table 6.
A study revealed that in China, most cases of employee individual loyalty to employers and
organizations’ obligation to employees becomes advantageous in which the benefits of loyalty im-
proves employee productivity in terms of quality practice. When an employee is loyal to an employer,
volunteering work overtime, and being highly responsible which are the features of high employee
motivation to perform their task are visible. Loyal employees tend to participate on the daily manage-
rial and recommendations giving activities although these are not part of their job contents because
they treat themselves as the owners of the company. Moreover, ultimately loyal employees are more
welcome to the employers because they tend to create more value to the employers as they are more
motivated and experienced with the work task as long staying veterans.

Table 7
Relationship of Personal Attributes (Loyalty) to Collaboration and Teamwork
Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
Std. R2
B Beta t Sig. F Sig.
Error Change
3.707 0.304 0.219 12.18 0.000 8.859 0.003
Loyalty 0.194 0.065 2.976 0.003 0.048
R2 = 4.8%

Table 7 shows that there is a significant relationship between the personal attributes in terms
of loyalty and core competencies in terms of collaboration and teamwork of the nurse educators.
Marshall, Goebel, and Moncrief (2003) state that relational skills may include several aspects such as
communication skills, problem solving skills, interpersonal skills, conflict management skills, empathy,
emotional stability, self-reflection, sense of justice and cooperativeness. According to Weydt (2010),
honest, open, and direct communication becomes foundational characteristics for effective teamwork.

July 2016 | Vol. 19 No. 2

 Personal Attributes and Teaching Performance as Mediated by Core Competencies of
13 Nurse Educators: Basis for Human Resource Training and Retention Program
Table 8
Relationship of Core Competencies (Collaboration and Teamwork, and Safe and Quality
Nursing Practice) to Teaching Methodology
Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
Std. R2
B Beta t Sig. Sig.
Error Change
Collaboration and
2.869 0.283 10.119 0.000
Teamwork
Safe and Quality 0.190 0.054 0.270 3.521 0.001 0.125 0.000
Nursing Practice 0.149 0.057 0.198 2.584 0.011 0.032 0.011
R2 = 15.7%, F= 16.360

The result in Table 8 shows that the core competencies in terms of collaboration and team-
work and safe and quality nursing practice are significant predictors of teaching performance in terms
of teaching methodology. These two contributed a total of 15.7% of the variance in teaching method-
ology.
In the Philippines, nursing education aims to prepare critical thinking nurse practitioners who,
upon completion of the program, demonstrate beginning professional competencies; they will contin-
ue to assume responsibility for personal and professional development, as well as utilize research find-
ings in the practices of the profession; this is reflected in CMO, 30, 2001: Article II (Paglinawan, 2012).

Table 9
Relationship of Core Competencies (Safe and Quality Nursing Practice, and Collaboration and Team-
work) to Knowledge of the Subject Matter
Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
Std. R2
B Beta t Sig. Sig.
Error Change
2.487 0.306 8.118 0.000
Safe and Quality 0.197 0.058 0.253 3.379 0.001 0.144 0.000
Nursing Practice
Collaboration 0.226 0.062 0.272 3.635 0.000 0.052 0.000
and Teamwork
R2 = 19.6%; F = 21.402

Table 9 reveals the relationship between core competencies and teaching performance of
nurse educators. Of the different dimensions of core competencies of nurse educators, safe and qual-
ity nursing practice and collaboration and teamwork came as significant predictors of teaching perfor-
mance in terms of knowledge of the subject matter (R2 = 19.6%).
A study revealed that nurse educators should advance the profession of nursing through lead-
ing change that increases teaching performance. Deans and administrators feel that 52% of new nurse
educators should be competent in leadership skills when they begin a tenured track faculty position
(Halstead, 2007; Poindexter, 2008).
Vol. 19 No. 2 | July 2016
 AUP Research Journal | ISSN 1655-5619 14

Table 10
Relationship of Core Competencies (Safe and Quality Nursing Practice)
to Use of Instructional Materials
Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
Std. R2
B Beta t Sig. Sig.
Error Change
Safe and Quality 3.442 0.260 13.230 0.000
Nursing Care 0.214 0.055 0.282 3.892 0.000 0.079 0.000
R2 = 7.9%; F = 15.149

A study by Frank and Laura (2001) showed that teacher’s traits had tremendous impact on
their performance. These traits are: achievement orientation, ability to apply knowledge, ability to
play a facilitative role, commitment, enthusiasm, and self-confidence. However, it also revealed that
teacher’s competencies were related to teacher’s performance such as instructional strategies. Nurse
educators who improve their safe and quality practices in serving their students naturally improve
their use of instructional materials. This claim was confirmed in the result of the present study that
safe and quality nursing care significantly predict teaching performance in terms of instructional ma-
terials as presented in Table 10.

Table 11
Relationship of Core Competencies (Safe and Quality Nursing Practice) to Classroom Management
Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
Std. R2
B Beta t Sig. Sig.
Error Change
3.043 0.279 10.892 0.000
Collaboration and Team-
0.158 0.053 0.230 2.971 0.003 0.104 0.000
work
Safe and Quality Nursing
0.160 0.057 0.218 2.823 0.005 0.039 0.000
Care
R2 = 14.4%

Of the different dimensions of core competencies of nurse educators, collaboration and team-
work and safe and quality nursing practice came out into the regression. Collaboration and teamwork
accounts 10.4% while safe and quality nursing practice accounts 3.9% of the variance in classroom
management, having a total variance accounted for 14.4%. A study on teacher’s competencies and
performance revealed that nurse educators who foster competency leads to effective teaching perfor-
mance to nursing students, but also further foster the teachers’ capabilities and competencies. Find-
ings showed that by facilitating the students’ learning and increasing their capabilities, the competent
teachers themselves acquired more capabilities and competency based on the principle of “reciprocal
effect of functions” (Johnson-Farmer & Fren, 2009).
July 2016 | Vol. 19 No. 2
 Personal Attributes and Teaching Performance as Mediated by Core Competencies of
15 Nurse Educators: Basis for Human Resource Training and Retention Program
Table 12
Predictors of Personal Attributes (Loyalty) and Demographic Profile (Years of Service) to
Teaching Performance (Teaching Methodology)
Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
Std. R2
B Beta t Sig. Sig.
Error Change
2.887 0.246 11.745 0.000
Loyalty 0.314 0.052 0.409 6.048 0.000 0.172 0.000
Years of Service 0.045 0.018 0.169 2.503 0.013 0.029 0.000
R2 = 17.2%; R2 = 2.9%; F = 21.982

Loyalty and years of service collectively predict teaching performance in terms of teaching
methodology as shown in Table 12. Similar result was revealed when regression analysis was con-
ducted for teaching performance in terms of knowledge of the subject matter. These results were
confirmed by the study conducted by Antwi (2006) which revealed that employees with longer expe-
rience tend to be more professional and experienced with their job. The attitudes towards their jobs
are more relaxed and the experienced one in his or her work yields positive attitude. Workers with
longer year in the service tend to be more efficient as they know how to evaluate themselves. Hence,
the longer the employees work in their workplace, the better is their performance.
According to Cruishank and Jenkins (2009), the younger and less experienced teachers are
more concerned with personal and social dimensions of teaching than with academics. They tend to
work hard to develop a unique teaching, identify and pay more attention to students’ interest than to
involve them in instruction and monitor their achievement. On the other hand, experienced teachers
are better able to attend to everything going on in the classroom and use what they observe to adjust
their teaching. Furthermore, experienced teachers connect new material to be learned to what learn-
ers already know, encourage more open discussions, and are more flexible.

Mediating Effects of Core Competencies on the Relationship of Personal Attributes

and Teaching Performance

Table 13
Significance and Estimates of the Relationships
Estimate S.E. C.R. P
Core <--- per .625 .067 5.552 ***
Teac <--- core .406 .133 4.612 ***
Teac <--- per .666 .075 8.016 ***

Based on the results in Table 13, personal attributes affect teaching performance through the
mediation of core competencies. A partial mediation did exist between the personal attributes and
the teaching performance of nurse educators as mediated by their teaching core competencies. Many
Vol. 19 No. 2 | July 2016
 AUP Research Journal | ISSN 1655-5619 16

nurse educators have expressed feelings of being lost, stressed, overwhelmed with anxiety, and lack-
ing preparation for their teaching role (Cangelosi et al., 2009).
According to Wilson and Rosseter (2008), nurse educators possess values, knowledge,
abilities, and skills that lead towards excellent teaching performance. This includes personal attributes
such as teaching beliefs, relational skills, personality traits, and loyalty (Shelton, 2003). Once nurse
educators have identified these attributes clearly, they begin to find as to how they can develop a new
level of core competencies in the academe and clinical practice, and identify what inside information
they need to know in order to attain effective teaching performance as nurse educators.

Table 13
Goodness-of-Fit Evaluation of the Structural Model
Rule of Thumb
Fit Measure Model Fit Interpretation
Good Fit Acceptable Fit
X² 0 ≤ x² ≤ 2df 2 df< X² ≤ 3df 62.439 Acceptable Fit
2.00 ˂ x² / df ≤
(x² / df) 0 ≤ x² / df ≤ 2.00 1.784 Acceptable Fit
3.00
.05 < RMSEA ≤
RMSEA 0 ≤ RMSEA ≤ .05 0.067 Acceptable Fit
.08
.90 ≤ RMSEA ˂
GFI .95 ≤ GFI ≤ 1.00 0.943 Acceptable Fit
.95
Legend: X² = Chi Square, df = degrees of freedom, RMSEA = Root Means Square Error of Approximation,
GFI = Goodness-of-fit Index

The teaching performance model in Figure 1 shows the direct and indirect effects of personal
attribute to teaching performance as mediated by the core competencies of nurse educators.

Df = 35; GFI = .943; CFI = .974; X² = 62.439; p = .003; RMSEA = .067

Figure 1. Teaching performance model

July 2016 | Vol. 19 No. 2
 Personal Attributes and Teaching Performance as Mediated by Core Competencies of
17 Nurse Educators: Basis for Human Resource Training and Retention Program
Human Resource Training
and Retention Program
Rationale. The findings of this study
call for a need of training and retention program
based on the opinion of scholars and practi-
tioners addressed to enhance the nurse educa-
tors’ teaching performance. The program intends
to provide possible course of action regarding
personal attributes and teaching and nursing core
competencies considering both theoretical and
practical-empirical significance.
Purpose. The purpose of the proposed
program is to formulate a basis for human re-
source’s training and retention program for nurse
educators. It would be best addressed by a reex-
amination of nurse educator’s personal attributes
(self-efficacy, loyalty, and communication skills),
core competencies (facilitate learning and so-
cialization, quality improvement and scholarship,
safe and quality nursing practice, and collabora-
tion and teamwork), and teaching performance
(teaching methodology, knowledge of subject
matter, use of instructional materials, and class-
room management). Understanding the nature
of the association between needs satisfaction
and both employee loyalty and job performance
would enable academics and administrators to
target on specific incentives so as to foster pro-
ductivity.
The proposed program will guide the ad-
ministrators as they encourage teachers to attend
conferences on trends in education, teaching
methodology, knowledge of subject matter, use
of instructional materials, and classroom man-
agement, or any programs that may help them to
grow and develop in service. Some teachers work
in experimental programs, discovering new ideas,
or exploring the possibilities of untried projects.
Goal. The primary goal of the program
is to help nurse educators to carry out their role
and responsibilities with much competence. The
program seeks to produce quality nurse educa-
tors who provide the best learning experiences
for the future nurses. With the program develop-
ment, they will be guided in their function partic-
ularly in developing positive attributes and more
passion, and in rendering their best in teaching
performance.
Vol. 19 No. 2 | July 2016
CONCLUSIONS
The study concludes that the nurse edu-
cators had a very good perception of their per-
sonal attributes. Their perception of teaching
performance was also very good. It showed that
they were very competent nurse educators. There
was a significant relationship between loyalty
and their core competencies in terms of facilitat-
ing learning and socialization and teaching per-
formance in terms of quality improvement and
scholarship, and safe and quality nursing practice.
Thus, loyalty and core competency in terms of
collaboration and teamwork and safe and quality
nursing practice have a significant relationship to
teaching performance in terms of teaching meth-
odology. This implies that the more loyal nurse
educators are, the higher is their competency in
safe and quality nursing and collaboration and
teamwork and teaching methodology. Personal
attributes, core competencies, and moderator
variables significantly predicted teaching perfor-
mance. Hence, the more loyal the nurse educa-
tors are, the longer is their years of service and
the better is their teaching performance. Overall,
it indicates that the more they apply core compe-
tencies, the better is their performance in teach-
ing, in knowledge of the subject matter, and in
the use of instructional materials.
There was a significant relationship be-
tween personal attributes, and the teaching per-
formance of the nurse educators as mediated
by their core competencies. Personal attributes
affect the teaching performance and there is a
partial mediating effect with an acceptable model
fit. There is a need to develop training and reten-
tion program for the human resource manage-
ment because the results showed that the model
fits directly as there is a need to train and retain
nurse educators whose teaching performance
should be best.
RECOMMENDATIONS
As this study showed that nurse educa-
tors are good in their self-efficacy, it would be vi-
tal that nurse educators should be self-sufficient;
therefore, further training is recommended. As
CHED has a program for nursing institutions, it is

wise that nursing schools should keep on sending
the nursing faculty to attend seminars for them to
be updated. This may have a domino effect on the
future nurses, future nurse educators, and other
health care providers as they serve around the
world. The school of nursing should initiate an
update of the nurse educators’ professional data.
The school should also design a schedule that
would allow them to avail of every opportunity
for their professional growth. When the school
keeps the data of every nurse educator’s record
and it is regularly updated, this will aid the Dean
and the faculty members, too, who need to attend
a seminar or related convention. This will keep
them abreast with the current trends in nursing.
This is of prime importance as they facilitate the
development of the nursing students both in the-
ory and in ‘hands-on’ learning experiences. Men-
toring or coaching activities should be provided
to enable the nurse educators to maximize their
potentials. This can stimulate new insights for the
mentees as they seek to advance their knowledge
and skills. Hence, it can contribute to job satisfac-
tion and commitment for the mentor. Also, the
nursing department need to collaborate with the
human resource of their plans and programs to
have personal and professional development of
the nurse educators.
For the administrators, it is deemed best
for them to retain the employees who satisfac-
torily perform their duties and in this case, the
nurse educators who have very good teaching
performance. They aim for excellence, thus, an
established training program can be an avenue of
equipping nurse faculty to have better teaching
performance. A regular training program needs to
be a part of the school calendar. To include in the
plan an exclusive one for the college of nursing
is much beneficial for the enhancement of nurse
educators’ teaching performance which can ad-
dress their unique skills, knowledge, and needs.
Thorough monitoring of the program
can be given attention as to how nurse educators
would maximize their learning through it. More-
over, an evaluation on their application is also
beneficial to systematically improve their teach-
ing performance and student learning. Further-
more, faculty training and mentoring programs
July 2016 | Vol. 19 No. 2
AUP Research Journal | ISSN 1655-5619 18
can be a part of the university policy. This will
provide an avenue for the faculty’s better perfor-
mance and will contribute much to their self-effi-
cacy and mastery of related skills.
For future research, other dimensions
on personality, teaching styles, and teaching per-
formance of the nurse educators would bring a
wider scope that will help the nursing schools.
Future research may be conducted with the same
essence but with the nurse educators as well as
the nursing students and the patients in the hos-
pital or in the community setting. Also a separate
study per level of the nursing students may help
students as their need to have a quality nurse ed-
ucator in each level is provided.
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