ADDRESSING TEACHER DISPOSITIONS AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEVEL

Glenda Hernandez Baca, Ph.D.Montgomery College, Maryland

Outcomes and Agenda Introductions Identify definitions for teacher dispositions Discuss importance of teacher dispositions Review models on teacher dispositions in

teacher education programs Discuss pilot study at Montgomery College Develop and share ideas for implementing

teacher dispositions at the college level Share tips for teaching and assessing

dispositions at the community college level.

Introductions Turn to two others close to you and share

the following:

Name Institution Position What you would like to learn about teacher

dispositions

What are “teacher dispositions?” Teacher dispositions:

Values, commitments, and professional ethics that influence behaviors and are guided by beliefs and attitudes related to values (NCATE, 2003)

To act in an ethical manner based on an explicit or implicit code of conduct through the development of characteristics of a professional and a model of professionalism every day (Kramer, 2003).

Why are teacher dispositions important?

There is a direct correlation between effective teaching and the dispositions of the teacher (Notar, Riley & Taylor, 2009).

They are significantly related to CHANGE his/her mode of behavioral functioning in order to adapt to situational constraints (Yeh, 2002).

It is increasingly being taught and evaluated at the four-year institutions and in the field of education (Ellis & McElvey, 2005).

Models of Teacher Dispositions Admissions Requirements-

The dispositions are evaluated in one specific course such as field experience

Across Setting Evaluations- not based on limited pieces of evidence-St. Norbert

College, Wisconsin

Open to Department faculty- Faculty complete a disposition evaluation IF there is

a concern

Teacher Dispositions at Montgomery College

About the pilot study: Fall 2010 @ Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Pre and post-surveys ED101- Foundations of Education and ED140- Introduction to Special

Education Purpose:

To determine if we should implement teacher disposition teaching and assessment in the AAT.

To lean more about students’ perspectives and knowledge about teacher dispositions.

Number of students: ED101= 14 ED140= 28 Total =42

Participant description: Diversity in age, experience, program choice, racial, ethnic and

linguistic backgrounds.

What students know about teacher dispositions

Most students (92%) in ED101 had not heard of teacher dispositions and did not know the definition of the term.

More students in ED140 knew something about teacher dispositions (33% vs. 8% in ED101) and what it meant.

ED140 responses were more specific to opportunity and growth. ED101 expressed more concerns with subjectivity.

How students feel about teacher dispositions

It would give them an opportunity to better prepare themselves to become better teachers. Can work and address concerns early Learn more skills

Concerns: Subjectivity Specific areas (punctuality, attendance,

being shy, etc.)

Other Findings On a scale from 1 – 5, where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest, how important do you consider teacher disposition is to teacher effectiveness and student success?•14% of students chose 3•19% of students chose 4•67% of students chose 5

**slights differences between ED101 and ED140

• 100% of students felt teacher dispositions should be evaluated at the AAT level.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

12345

Outcome of study

Developed a new disposition evaluation based on student feedback and collaborative effort between campus education faculty. Included LEA (Montgomery County Public

Schools)

Started using the evaluation in the Field Experience Course at the midterm point and for finals.

Future Steps Implement it at the college-wide level:

Introduce it to all faculty and adjuncts Develop clear goals and expectations for how it will

be taught and assessed.

Address formal and administrative policy issues: How what we are going to do with the information What will happen to students who need significant

and extensive supports in developing teacher dispositions?

Your Turn! With 2-3 others, identify TWO concerns

for TEACHING teacher dispositions at the community college level along with TWO possible solutions to the concerns.

Also, identify TWO concerns in ASSESSING teacher dispositions at the community college level along with TWO possible solutions to those concerns.

Tips to Consider Teaching Dispositions When and how will you teach about it?

Be clear and specific Embed it throughout your program (not just in one class) Consider specific goals and outcomes Provide sample of your disposition list to your

students

Will it be consistent throughout your department?

Tips to ConsiderDisposition Evaluation: Research the possible disposition “domains” and

select what it is important for you, your students and your program.

Consider subjectivity and consistency How will you address this? Is your assessment instrument clear?

When and how will you implement this?

What will be done at the administrative level if there is a serious issue or concern?

References Ellis, C. I. & McElvery, R. (2005). Teacher disposition and

preservice teachers. (ERIC document Reproduction)

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (2002). NCATE unit standards. Retrieved from http://wwww.ncate.org/standard/unit/stds.htm

Notar, C.E., Riley, G.W., & Taylor P. W. (2009). Dispositions: Ability and assessment. International Journal of Education E4 (1), 32-39.

Yeh, Y. (2002). Preservice teachers’ thinking styles, dispositions, and changes in their teacher behaviors. Paper presented at the 2002 Interenational Conference on Computer Education.