A Case Analysis of Middle Level Teacher Preparation and Long-term Teacher Dispositions

Abstract

Underlying all pedagogical decisions are dispositions that animate, motivate, and direct abilities evident in the patterns of one’s frequently exhibited behavior (Ritchhart, 2001). Although the research on teacher dispositions remains inconsistent, and the intensity with which dispositions are evaluated seems to be waning, middle level educators recognize the role of teacher dispositions in cultivating developmentally responsive practices and inclusive, safe learning communities. This case analysis examines one middle level teacher preparation program that embraced such practices and the dispositions that undergird them. The program intentionally focused on the cultivation of responsive dispositions, grounded in meeting the needs of a diverse group of young adolescents. If teacher preparation has standards for and works to cultivate specific dispositions, it is important to investigate what happens to these dispositions once novice teachers enter the real world of the classroom. This study examines novice middle level teachers’ dispositions over their first five years in the field.