Navigating Murky Waters

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Navigating Murky Waters

• The Challenge of Assessing Preservice Teacher
  Dispositions
• Dr. Anne B. Bucalos and Dr. Christine G. Price
• Bellarmine University

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Contact Information

• Dr. Anne B. Bucalos
• Chair, Undergraduate Education
• Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education
• Bellarmine University
• 502-452-8405
• abucalos_at_bellarmine.edu
• Dr. Christine G. Price
• Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education
• Bellarmine University
• 502-452-8409
• cgprice_at_bellarmine.edu

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Dispositions Here and Now

• NCATE
• Assessing candidates knowledge, skills, and
  dispositions
• INTASC
• Delineating effective dispositions within
  standards
• NBPTS
• Requiring evidence of effective dispositions in
  board certified teachers

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Bellarmine Universitys Understanding of Teaching
Dispositions

• It has become increasingly clear in the research
  literature that an important part of the practice
  that informs the work of teacher educators is
  uncovering, shaping, and nurturing the
  dispositions that enhance the teacher candidates
  ability to apply in both public and private
  contexts the knowledge and skills learned in the
  universitys education programs. Teacher
  candidates without these dispositions particular
  to teaching will be far less able to apply their
  learning consistently in authentic teaching
  contexts.

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Our Attempt to Formalize Dispositions Assessments

• Pathway I, Admission to Teacher Education
• Dispositions Self-Assessment
• Dispositions Institutional Assessment from AS or
  Education faculty
• Pathway II, Admission to Student Teaching
• Dispositions Self-Assessment
• Dispositions Institutional Assessment from AS or
  Education faculty
• Pathway III, Exit from Program
• Dispositions Self-Assessment
• Dispositions Institutional Assessment from
  Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisor in
  the Professional Semester

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Informal Analysis of Early Data Collection

• Dispositions Self-Assessment and Dispositions
  Institutional Assessment
• 30 50 congruity between assigned scores in
  self-assessment and assigned scores in
  institutional assessment
• There is no clear pattern in the data to indicate
  a trend in higher or lower assigned scores in the
  self-assessment compared to higher or lower
  assigned scores in the institutional assessment

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Murky Waters Questions for on-going Discussion

• Can appropriate dispositions be taught?
• Is there tolerance for diversity in dispositions?
• Are professionals genuinely qualified to judge
  appropriate dispositions?

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Can appropriate dispositions be taught?

• Our process for dispositional interventions
• Candidates are expected to demonstrate effective
  teaching dispositions as described in the
  Dispositions Self and Institutional Assessments
  and course syllabi. Problems should first be
  addressed through discussion between the
  candidate and the appropriate instructor. A
  signed intervention document indicates that the
  candidate and a faculty member worked
  collaboratively to develop a specific plan
  intended to remediate ineffective teaching
  dispositions.

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Components of Intervention Plans

• Area(s) for intervention
• Actions to address the area of growth
• Evidence of the impact of these actions on
  improved professional dispositions

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Sample Intervention Plan

• Area for Intervention
• Inappropriate professional communication about
  families and children in collaborative groups
• Actions to Address Area
• Self and peer monitoring to develop respectful
  language that is tolerant of differences
• Evidence of Growth
• Self reflection after two collaborative group
  meetings
• Peer and Instructor reflection after two
  collaborative group meetings

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Is there tolerance for diversity in dispositions?

• 1st Case
• Young lady in undergraduate program,
  Elementary/LBD
• 2nd Case
• Young man in undergraduate program, Elementary/LBD

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Problem Solving Case

• Read the Problem-Scenario distributed in this
  session.
• In small groups, address the following questions
• Should there be an intervention plan for this
  student?
• If so, what dispositions should be addressed? If
  not, why not?
• What would be the appropriate interventions based
  on those dispositions?

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Are professionals genuinely qualified to judge
appropriate dispositions?

• Training adjunct faculty and cooperating teachers
  in field sites
• Adjunct faculty and cooperating teachers
  indicated it was overwhelming to assess the
  dispositions of candidates using the forms
  developed in the School of Education.
• Instead, they wanted to focus on the
  dispositional work behaviors of candidates.
• Though we did not drop the requirement to use the
  dispositions assessment, we did add a section to
  rate professional work behaviors.

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Professional Work Behaviors Added to
Dispositional Assessments in the Professional
Semester

• Please record a number for the following
  dispositional work behaviors that best describe
  the teacher candidate. As you contemplate your
  score, compare the teacher candidate with others
  you have supervised during a professional
  semester.
• 4 Distinguished -- The candidates
  dispositional work
• behavior is exemplary.
• 3 Proficient -- The candidates dispositional
  work behavior
• is satisfactory.
• 2 Apprentice -- The candidates dispositional
  work behavior
• needs improvement.
• 1 Novice -- The candidates dispositional work
  behavior is
• unsatisfactory.

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Professional Work Behaviors Added to
Dispositional Assessments in the Professional
Semester

• Attendance and Dependability
• Judgment and Common Sense
• Leadership Potential
• Cooperation with Others
• Correct Use of Standard English
• Maturity (poise and self-control)
• Personal hygiene and grooming

• Enthusiasm for learning and teaching
• Vitality
• Positive attitude toward supervision
• Flexibility
• Initiative
• Integrity
• Professional attitude
• Punctuality

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A Question for Further Researchand Reflection

• Should teacher preparation institutions evaluate
  the teaching dispositions of in-service
  teachers/candidates for advanced certification?
• Kentuckys requirement
• NCATEs requirement