Abstract
Dispositions are a vital aspect to teacher preparation. Dispositions provide the holistic view to teaching future teachers that is often missing in teacher preparation programs. Commonly, the focus of training in teacher preparation programs is on pedagogical and content specific instruction. However, teacher preparation programs have a greater responsibility to further prepare candidates through dispositional development. In the 21st century, it is imperative that teachers are communicatively and culturally competent. Teacher dispositions relate directly to 21st century skills. This chapter focuses on defining dispositions, explaining their significance in teacher preparation programs and establishing how dispositional training can be employed in practical settings. Including teacher dispositions as an integral aspect of teacher preparation globally could help to establish meaningful and clear connections regarding what is truly needed for successful intercultural and international education in the 21st century.
TopIntroduction
In the 21st century, teachers must be communicatively and culturally competent and able to teach their students to be communicatively and culturally competent. Teacher dispositions relate directly to 21st-century skills, as defined by professional organizations and teacher preparation programs. The concept of teacher dispositions can be readily applied to the rapidly changing context of 21st-century education worldwide. Indeed, including teacher dispositions as an integral aspect of teacher preparation globally could help establish meaningful and clear connections regarding what is truly needed for successful intercultural and international education.
Dispositions are clearly a vital and current aspect of teacher preparation. Indeed, the accreditors of teacher preparation programs in the United States refer to teacher dispositions as necessary components in accredited programs (CAEP, 2019; AAQEP, 2020). While teacher dispositions' general idea is agreed upon as important, parties have not yet completely united on the definition, specific wording, and exact requirements for what constitutes these specific teacher dispositions. Generally, dispositions are the personal and professional qualities and attitudes of a teacher and could be viewed as what many colloquially call soft skills. Dispositions provide a holistic view of teaching future teachers that are often missing in teacher preparation programs. Commonly, the focus of training in teacher preparation programs is on pedagogical and content-specific instruction. However, teacher preparation programs have a greater responsibility to prepare candidates through dispositional development further. Fostering an awareness of dispositions helps teacher preparation candidates access the most fundamental aspects of who they are personally and professionally (Schussler & Knarr, 2013). Dispositions of teacher preparation candidates are assessed through accreditation procedures and therefore, must be cultivated (Cummings & Asempapa, 2013; Jones & Jones, 2013) via the intentional introduction to and teaching of the dispositions.
While it is the responsibility of teacher preparation programs to develop dispositions within teacher preparation candidates, the lack of clarity in both the definition and the assessment of dispositions within teacher preparation programs has made the transfer of dispositional knowledge to a practical application classroom difficult. Further, dispositions are difficult to define because of their subjectivity. As a result, teacher preparation programs have struggled to find concrete ways to develop, document, and assess dispositions (Neumann, 2013). Dispositional development is especially essential in English Language Learner teacher candidates' preparation as dispositional nuisances such as tone, syllabic stress, facial movements, and hand gestures are often transferred to students without teacher awareness. This chapter will focus on defining dispositions, explaining their utmost significance in teacher preparation programs, and establish how dispositional training can be employed in practical settings. The connection between teacher dispositions and the 21st-century global world of education is important to consider. Therefore, this chapter will focus on defining dispositions, explaining their utmost significance in teacher preparation programs, and establishing how dispositional training can be employed in practical settings worldwide.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Wobbling: Moving back and forth without taking a definitive stance.
21st Century Skills: Skills that have been newly recognized as pertinent to navigation of and communication within the 21st century, such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.
Bilingual: A person who is proficient in two languages.
Teacher Dispositions: The perceptions, expectations, qualities, behaviors, virtues, attitudes, temperaments, traits, characteristics, and philosophies that are desired for successful K-12 teachers.
Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP): Since 2013, a nonprofit and nongovernmental agency that accredits educator preparation providers.
Transnational Teacher Disposition: A specific desired teacher disposition regarding the ability to relate to humans from other countries and/or cultures.
Professional Development: Continuing education for in-service teachers.
Teacher Preparation Candidate: A person preparing via schooling and/or other professional development experiences to become a K-12 teacher.
Learning Management System: A software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, and delivery of educational courses or programs.
Fieldwork: Clinical practice for teacher preparation candidates conducted by observing or teaching in an actual K-12 classroom.
Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: The extent to which varied groups of humans with cultural and language differences participate in, are welcome in, and contribute to the culture of a given place, scenario, culture, or situation.
English as a Foreign Language: The study of English by non-native speakers in environments where English is not the dominant language.
English as a Second Language: The study of the English language by non-native speakers in an English-speaking environment.
Teacher Retention: The ability to keep teachers teaching in schools from year to year, as opposed to leaving the profession of education.
National Council for the Accreditation of Teachers (NCATE): A professional accreditor focused on accrediting teacher education programs in U.S. colleges and universities until 2013 when NCATE became the Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP).
English Language Learner: Individuals with limited English language proficiency.
Online Learning: Courses or other learning experiences specifically delivered via the internet.
Teacher Preparation Program: The training and educational programs, usually at universities, in which teachers learn the skills required for teaching in K-12 schools.
Teacher Attrition: The phenomenon and rate of teachers leaving the teaching profession.
Cultural Competence: The ability to relate to, communicate with, and affirm humans of cultures other than one’s own.
Dick and Carey Model: An instructional systems design model taking a systems approach to formative assessment in order to improve instruction.
Global Context: Consideration of something within current worldwide use and understanding.
Interdisciplinary Studies: Learning involving two or more academic content areas.