Conference Agenda

Teachers shape the future, particularly in a post-COVID world. In supporting the transformational work of teachers, understanding who they are, and which personal characteristics are likely to predict teacher effectiveness is essential. This symposium seeks to explore the relationship between prospective teachers' desire to become a teacher and their subsequent classroom readiness. We argue that a number of major characteristics or dispositions sit alongside cognitive abilities that are essential to be considered when selecting and graduating new teachers.

Amidst the varied discourses about education's future, the teacher's role continues to garner great interest and scrutiny. This is because there is strong evidence to suggest that teaching quality is a key predictor of success in the classroom (Hattie, 2009). Darling-Hammond (2000) noted that the effects of quality teaching on student outcomes are greater than those that arise from students’ backgrounds. This impact may be positive or negative, with the effect of poor-quality teaching being seen as debilitating and cumulative on student outcomes (Darling-Hammond, 2000). Darling-Hammond, et al. (2012), go on to suggest that there is an important distinction between teaching quality as defined by practice and instruction and teacher quality defined by personal attributes, competency, skill, and dispositions. As policymakers continue to grapple with a global teacher shortage, the interplay between selection processes into initial teacher education programs and the effectiveness of these programs in preparing teachers for an uncertain future must be better understood.

Access to schooling has grown and the demand for teachers has expanded. However, the number of qualified schoolteachers worldwide has not kept pace, creating a gap that policymakers are struggling to fill (UNESCO, 2021). With the advent of COVID-19, these gaps have become even more stark.

The four papers presented in this symposium interrogate the future of teacher education more broadly by adopting a variety of methods and arguments and at the same time, raising the challenges that initial teacher education is facing in the post-COVID world.

This symposium culminates in a discussion about implications for policy and practice. It is argued that reflection on attitudes, behaviours, and cognitive characteristics in different contexts is essential to understanding an educator's impact. We also argue that both teacher educators and pre-service teachers must understand the importance of individual dispositions to ensure a career as an effective educator.

Perspectives from Australia, USA, and Ecuador are presented to explore diverse contexts and the changing needs of our education communities, followed by a challenge from a discussant from Europe and the USA. These different perspectives are used to understand the impact of teacher dispositions and teacher wellbeing on the ideal of sustaining teachers and increasing the status and effectiveness of teaching generally.

Teacher shortages, wellbeing concerns, and an emphasis on creating inclusive and culturally responsive learning environments have recently come to the fore. Accordingly, the role of the teacher is more complex and the stakes of ensuring that teachers are equipped to handle their roles are higher. A teacher’s professional journey starts when they commence initial teacher education (ITE). Thus, ITE has a key role in ensuring that teachers can practice effectively in dynamic, complex, and diverse communities (Clinton et al., 2018). That role begins with teacher selection. The Teacher Capability Assessment Tool (TCAT), (Clinton & Dawson, 2018; Bowles et.al. 2015) is a comprehensive standardised online tool that informs teacher selection. The tool assesses a range of factors including; motivations for teaching, cognitive reasoning skills, non-cognitive domains and characteristics such as disposition, self-regulation and resilience. TCAT also includes self-report items related to a candidate’s communication style and self-awareness. The tool also asks candidates about their ability to act fairly, their cultural sensitivity, and their acceptance of difference. Our data suggest that there are key characteristics that predict intended behaviour and performance during a pre-service teachers’ journey. This paper will present evidence in relation to these dispositional factors and include a discussion of the measures of cultural sensitivity, ethics and social desirability. Building on the notion that teaching is a complex and challenging profession that requires a mix of knowledge, skills, and competencies, dispositions and personal characteristics must be an important focus given they are predictive of teacher behaviour, student outcomes and intention to stay in the profession. Research findings will be shared that illustrate the differences between what teacher candidates believe what makes an effective teacher in Australia, the USA and Ecuador. Data from a random sample of 100 candidates from each country were selected to illustrate variance across the three countries. The differences across the countries provide a diverse perspective while demonstrating latent dimensions across the key characteristics. For instance, Australian respondents were less likely than respondents from Utah to believe kindness and empathy were important aspects of being an effective teacher. Further, a common pattern across the countries was found around high-level dimensions relating to relationships, knowledge, skills, and evaluative thinking. This paper provides the foundation for examining teachers’ views about effective teaching, the importance of ongoing self-development, and implications for teachers’ professional journeys. The paper is relevant to educators, teacher educators, and policymakers in education and initial teacher education.

Bowles, T., Hattie, J., Dinham, S., Scull, J., & Clinton, J. (2014). Proposing a comprehensive model for identifying teaching candidates. The Australian Educational Researcher, 41(4), 365–380. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-014-0146-z Clinton, J., Aston, R., & Koelle, M. (2018). Investigating the key determinants of effective teaching: a systematic review. Report prepared for the Australian Government Department of Education and Training. Clinton, J., & Dawson, G. (2018). Enfranchising the profession through evaluation: a story from Australia. Teachers and Teaching, 24(3), 312–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2017.1421162

In this paper, we explore answers to the question ‘what makes an effective teacher?’ drawing from two diverse education contexts; Ecuador and Australia. We compare these two countries using data from the Teacher Capability Assessment Tool administered among pre-service teachers (Australia) and in-service teachers (Ecuador), augmented with a Delphi-study with teacher regulatory authorities, initial teacher educators, and education policymakers in Australia (Clinton, Aston, Qing & Keamy, 2019). As some argue that the role of teachers is expanding with the advent of the contemporary components of teaching, including but not limited to inclusive education and school health promotion in mental wellbeing, exploring the degree to which initial teacher education offerings, and definitions of what an effective teacher is (including patterns of dispositional characteristics) are in alignment within different contexts is essential. We will do this through the case example of a contemporary component of teaching, inclusive education both prior to COVID-19 and since 2020 in Ecuador (Graham, Berman & Bellert, 2015; Sawyer, Raniti & Aston, 2021; Didier, 2011). The experience in Ecuador suggests that some teacher factors are more significant than others when examining different education contexts. For example, there were interesting differences in personality scales between in-service teachers in Ecuador when compared to Australian pre-service teachers. However, there was virtually no difference in social interaction characteristics such as conflict resolution, collaboration, trust & respect, leadership, multicultural awareness and acceptance of difference and self-awareness. When these teacher dispositions are drawn against the backdrop of policy imperatives that seek to advance inclusive education, the key developmental differences in prospective and early career teacher from the two different education contexts become even more significant. The data suggests that while there are common traits that predict an effective teacher, in essence, context matters. Factors that make an effective teacher may not be universal. It is influenced by the dynamic nature of reforms targeting improving teacher and education quality. This paper highlights the importance of considering teacher dispositions in relation to the definition of what makes an effective teacher when supporting teachers to embed inclusive education practices. Using this information to navigate the variability in teacher workforce and the complex ecosystem of education actor roles, geographic and cultural characteristics provides us an opportunity to shape the idea of nurturing successful future teachers in a socially just world

Didier, J. (2011). Health education in schools The challenge of teacher training. National Institute for Prevention and Health Education. Clinton, J., Aston, R., Qing, E. & Keamy, K. (2019). Teaching Practice Evaluation Framework: Final Report. Prepared for the Australian Government Department of Education and Training. Centre for Program Evaluation, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne. ISBN 978-1-76051-901-8 Graham, L., Berman, J. & Bellert, A. (2015). Sustainable Learning: Inclusive Practices for 21st Century Classrooms. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781107280243 Sawyer, S., Raniti, M. & Aston, R. (2021). Making every school a health promoting school. Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, Aug 5(8), doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(21)00190-5

The notion of classroom readiness and graduating new teachers from initial teacher education programs is often linked with the highly charged rhetoric of the effectiveness and utility of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs and teacher quality (Darling-Hammond et al., 2005). In Australia, this has resulted in a series of ongoing reviews of the Initial Teacher Education sector (e.g. TEMAG, 2014; Paul, 2021; Productivity Commission, 2022), which have policy implications for national professional standards and the accreditation of programs. Australian ITE providers are required to include a final Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) as evidence of pre-service teachers (PSTs) meeting the Australian Professional Standards for Graduate Teachers (AITSL, 2015). In the first part of this paper, we locate TPAs in the current policy context and discuss the development of the Assessment for Graduate Teaching (AfGT) as a case study of TPAs. The AfGT comprises four elements, designed to provide a robust and comprehensive assessment of a PST’s ‘readiness to teach’ and is currently implemented by a consortium of fifteen Australian ITE providers. In order to be classroom-ready, PSTs are expected to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity, and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and languages, understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability and knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour in diverse school contexts. We then present data that tracks the progress of PSTs from selection through to the assessment of classroom readiness for a cohort of PSTs undertaking the AfGT. We discuss the relationship between the PSTs’ individual dispositions, expectations and beliefs and their ability to judge authentic and recognisable situations and dilemmas faced in school settings. We argue that when PSTs have a deep understanding and a repertoire of strategies that cater for the diversity of students represented in classrooms, they are better equipped to mitigate issues associated with disadvantage and access to quality education and curriculum (Villegas, 2007). Finally, we consider the implications of these findings beyond the Australian context and reflect on the work completed in Finland across two Master of Teaching programs from two universities in order to discuss the predictive relationships between teacher dispositions and successful classroom readiness for national and international education research and policy reform.

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2011) Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, AITSL, Melbourne. Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2015) Accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia, AITSL, Melbourne. Darling-Hammond, L., Holtzman, D. J., Gatlin, S. J., & Heilig, J. V. (2005) Does Teacher Preparation Matter? Evidence about Teacher Certification, Teach for America, and Teacher Effectiveness. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 13, 1–47. Paul, L. (2022) Next Steps: Report of the Quality Initial Teacher Education Review. Commonwealth Government of Australia Productivity Commission (2022), Review of the National School Reform Agreement, Interim Report, Canberra, September. Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group, author. (2014). Action now: classroom ready teachers. Commonwealth Government of Australia Villegas, A. M. (2007). Dispositions in Teacher Education: A Look at Social Justice. Journal of Teacher Education, 58(5), 370–380.

Globally there is a teacher shortage and questions are being asked about the nature of teacher quality and effectiveness across diverse communities. This points to a need for teacher education to change going forward. This paper argues that that the role of teacher dispositions is a significant factor in developing the self-perspective as a teacher and, consequently, effectiveness in teaching practice. The nature of teaching continues to be discussed, and our understanding of strategies and pedagogy in relation to teaching has made significant strides in the last decade, (Hattie, 2012). At the same time, there is growth in the role of the teacher in the school, and evidence to suggest that teaching has become more difficult and stressful. Hence a significant number of teachers are leaving the profession. This draws attention then to the need for support for teachers, who must now teach in very diverse communities and contexts and ensure that an inclusive education is being provided for all students. Our argument (bolstered by evidence presented in this symposium) is that for teachers to respond to these challenges, they must have a strong sense of self-awareness, and understand the impact of their own beliefs and attitudes to engage effectively in the tasks in front of them. In line with this argument then, teachers have a responsibility to develop this sense of self and at the same time, adopt a sense of ongoing development than is supported by a quality professional learning and resourcing. This has a flow-on effect for initial teacher education, the way the education system provides policies to support teacher education and of course, in the evaluation of teacher performance. The three papers highlight common patterns of perceptions about the nature of effective teaching in inclusive and diverse spaces as well as demonstrating the significance of teacher dispositions across three countries, from beginning preservice teachers through to experienced teachers and policymakers across the education system. Thus, the final paper draws on the evidence provided in each of the presentations and suggests a model theory of change that encompasses teacher education, the teacher and the practice of teaching in diverse spaces. It is our view that it is the combination of the individual teacher’s role, a supportive system and school communities working in harmony that can ensure a positive impact for students, the teaching workforce, and teachers and ensure that diverse and inclusive education communities are being developed and sustained.

Darling-Hammond, L. (1997). Teacher quality and student achievement: A review of state policy evidence. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 5(1). National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. (2010). Teacher Dispositions: A Conceptual Framework. Ingersoll, R. M., & Strong, M. (2011). The impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers: A critical review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 201-233