Person-environment fit theory and teachers’ accountability as context-dependent

Abstract

The study examined the extent to which person-environment fit was related to teachers’ internal and external accountability, exploring the possibility of school location (rural versus central schools) intervening in the relationship between person-environment fit and accountability. The quantitative research was based on a questionnaire delivered to 309 Israeli teachers, 134 elementary schools, 110 women, and 187 rural schools. The results support the hypothesis that the higher the degree of compatibility between a teacher’s values and those of the school, job, and colleagues, the higher the teacher’s sense of accountability. However, the relationship between fit and accountability was significant only in rural areas.