This study addressed two questions: (1) Can homogeneous groups of teachers be created based upon instructional preferences? and (2) If so, can those groups be differentiated by the teachers' role-ideals and their philosophical orientations? The focus was on how teachers want to teach rather than how they feel they ought to teach in their individual teaching situations. The subjects of the study were 127 elementary school teachers, 106 secondary school teachers, and two teachers who taught at both levels. The median number of years of teaching experience was 5.6 years. Each teacher responded to three questionnaires which tested: (1) their preferences for sixteen conceptual models of teaching; (2) how well each of 24 adjectives describe an ideal teacher; and (3) philosophical beliefs by rating the teachers' strength of agreement with each of 44 statements on educational theories. The analysis of results showed that homogeneous groups of teachers can be created based on instructional preferences, and that teachers role-ideals and preferences for educational philosophies are related to their preferences for conceptual models for teaching. Implications of these findings are discussed, and a detailed analysis of the methodology with supporting tables, as well as a list of references, is included. (FG)