Exploring Dispositions in Gifted Education: A Comprehensive Analysis

1. Teaching Dispositions in action:Talking the walk Marcia Dvorak, Ph.D., mjdvorak@ku.edu Reva Friedman-Nimz University of Kansas

2. Great teachers make a profound difference in the lives of children. National Council on Teacher Quality, Walsh and Tracy, 2003 It does not appear to be true that any ‘good’ teacher can effectively teach gifted children. In fact, ‘good’ teachers who are unprepared to teach gifted students may not only be ineffective with them but may also become primary contributors to the development of underachievement behavior and negative attitudes Whitmore, 1980, p. 400

3. The Journey Begins • Dispositions in gifted education • A dive into the literature • List, after list, after list – yes, a laundry list (Renzulli) Resulted in approximately 140 separate qualities/characteristics/competencies • Knowledge and skills • How can we organize into meaningful categories?

4. ResearchQuestions What patterns of knowledge, skills, and dispositions characterize the actions and thoughts of gifted education teachers? Are these patterns different for teachers with “reputational expertise?”

5. Task 1: Critical Analysis of Pertinent Literature • 18 major references • 55.5% of the references cited intellectual abilities of the teacher • 45% spoke to the environment (safe, warm, permissive atmosphere; learner-centered)

6. Frequencieswithin the Literature Review • 30%--Knowledgeable/Subject matter knowledge • 25%--Flexible/open • 20%--Flexibility with curriculum • 20%--Creativity/imaginative • 15%--Problem solving • 15%--Lifelong learner/intellectual growth

7. Frequencies(continued) • 15%--Enthusiastic • 15%--Prefer to teach G/T student • 10%--Sense of humor • 10%--Skills involving questioning • 5%--Skills for working with G/T students • 5%--Capacity for change

8. Task 2: Evaluating the Perceived Importance of Identified Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions Superior intelligence

9. SurveyResults • Knowledge • Skills • Dispositions

10. Examining Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositionsin Actions and Thoughts Costa and Kallick, Habits of Mind* Connecting Habits and dispositions *(Costa A. & Kallick, B. 2001. Habits of Mind: A Developmental Series. Book 1: Discovering and Exploring Habits of Mind. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.)

11. Habits of Mind Persisting; Managing Impulsivity; Listening; Thinking Flexibly; Metacognition; Striving for Accuracy and Precision; Questioning; Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations; Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision; Gathering Data through All Senses; Creating, Imagining, and Innovating; Responding with Wonderment and Awe; Taking Responsible Risks; Finding Humor; Thinking Interdependently; Remaining Open to Continuous Learning

12. Habits of Mind • “Explained” the literature • Fit to both state and federal standards

13. Prior Research: Methods and Results • Surveys, checklists/opinions, training, creativity in teachers, secondary sources • Qualitative • Coleman’s (1991) practitioner perspective and the “invisible world” • Story (1985) • Gentry and Hu: The Gifted Teacher (2006)

14. The Qualitative Process • Qualitative process • Grand tour questions • Categories • Critical incidents • Definition of reputational expertise Displaying qualities congruent with the literature and the Habits

15. Findings • Habits that defined G/T teachers with “reputational expertise” • Lifelong learning • Articulate beliefs well and with confidence • Wonderment and awe • Policy

16. Implications • The Laundry List: Can it be reduced? • Explicitly teach • Specialization implications • Freehill, (1974); Hansford, (1985); Newland (1962); Torrence and Myers (1973) • Heath (1997)

17. Displaying Reputational Expertise

18. Next • General education • Using emerging categories • Laundry List (Knowledge, Skills, Dispositions) • Real life connections

19. Thank you My sincere thanks is extended to Dr. Reva Friedman-Nimz and Dr. Earle Knowlton who aided me in this quest as well as all the other professors on my doctoral committee who played a significant part in its completion. Dr. Marcia Dvorak, University of Kansas mjdvorak@ku.edu