Understanding the factors that shape dispositions toward students with disabilities: a case study of three general education pre-service teachers

ABSTRACT

Presently, there is limited research that explores how the nature of pre-service teachers’ prior experience informs their dispositional development, and it has yet to be determined whether the pedagogical needs of these prospective teachers vary based on their level of prior exposure. This qualitative case study examines the dispositions of three pre-service teachers enrolled in a year-long graduate education programme in the United States and considers the role that prior experience plays in their dispositional development. Findings from this study reveal that participants’ dispositions appear to be affected more significantly by coursework and fieldwork than by prior experience, and the culture of the school plays a critical role in a pre-service teachers’ dispositional development. This study addresses gaps in current research by offering insight into the nuanced nature of pre-service teachers’ dispositional development.

KEYWORDS:

• Disability
• special education needs
• higher education
• inclusive education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributor

Christa S. Bialka is the Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Education and Counseling at Villanova University. Her research interests include teacher preparation, analysis of dispositional development, and ableism awareness.

Notes

1. According to Ronfeldt (2012), ‘the assumption is that schools that better functioning schools with more desirable conditions for practice will be the ones in which teachers tend to want to stay (easier to staff)’ (8).