Developing Dispositions for Teaching: Teacher Education Programs as Moral Communities of Practice

Abstract

Dispositions for teaching have become a key issue in teacher education reform. Relatively little attention, however, has been devoted to studying how dispositions for teaching develop. This article argues that acquiring appropriate professional dispositions for teaching is a socio-cultural process that benefits from both formal and informal modeling and assisted performance. It takes place in and among peers and more experienced colleagues / instructors in teacher education programs, which serve as moral communities of practice. The article presents a conceptual analysis of this challenge, identifies implications, dilemmas, and potential initiatives for teacher education programs, and proposes avenues for further research.