A WHOLE NEW WORLD: Measuring Teacher Candidate Dispositions through Cultural Immersion and Service Learning

Abstract

When teachers believe in their own ability to teach, they are more likely to provide better instruction for their students. It is not uncommon for new teachers to doubt themselves in the classroom. Not only do teachers have to show a level of confidence, they must also display particular dispositions in their work. "Dispositions" is a term that is often juxtaposed with knowledge and skills (Choi, Benson, & Shadak, 2016). NCATE ( 2008) defines dispositions as "professional attitudes, values, and beliefs demonstrated through both verbal and nonverbal behaviors as educators interact with students, families, colleagues, and communities" (p. 89). One has to wonder if these dispositions have any correlation with how teachers will interact with their students. The researchers in this study sought to determine what impact service learning through a cultural immersion experience would have on preservice teachers' dispositions towards students from diverse ethical, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, especially when poverty is involved. The researchers sought funding from their university to take pre-service teachers in the Department of Teaching and Learning to a facility designed to train groups in appropriate technology for specific third world countries around the world. Pre-service teachers lived in traditional houses, took on traditional roles, learned about commerce through bartering and trading, as well as experienced poverty in a simulated environment. By engaging pre-service teachers in service learning, the researchers hoped to gain insight into how exposure to different cultural environments may impact teacher candidates' dispositions and thoughts toward poverty.