Measuring Dispositions in Preservice Music Educators

Abstract

The goal for this chapter is to share a body of research in music teacher education with colleagues who are tasked with measuring preservice music teacher dispositions. Dispositions can be seen as habits of mind and accompanying actions. Additionally, we hope this information will help university music education students to identify which dispositions to adopt and which to act on. Music teacher educators can no longer assume that the “I’ll know it when I see it” approach to understanding beliefs and behaviors in music education students is reasonable. For example, in the United States, accrediting bodies expect to review evidence that music education students have acquired and display the appropriate dispositions that underlie success in teaching. Furthermore, the collection of such data is part of basic program self-evaluation and improvement strategies that music teacher educators need to perform in the work they undertake. Music teacher educators have articulated a need to establish and measure whether their students have the appropriate habits of mind and deliberative actions that will support them throughout their careers as teachers. The chapter consists of three sections: a review of theoretical and historical perspectives on dispositions; an introduction and review of the work of Kelly A. Parkes, Gary K. Ritcher, and Paul F. Doerksen; and an overview of their endeavors in the measurement of dispositions. The chapter illustrates the need for measures and provides examples of measures that have been developed. This chapter is designed to be relevant to both music teacher educators and students in music teacher preparation programs.