Incidende of academic practices in the professional dispositions

Abstract

This article presents the partial results of an exploratory study on the role of the mentor in the construction of an academic community in the Social Work and English Teaching Education programs of the Universidad Industrial de Santander. In order to inquire into the changes in the initial dispositions of the students the academic practice, a mixed-methods study was adopted. A characterization of the dispositions was carried out in the courses Practice I and practice II, through a questionnaire. Then, the researchers did a preliminary analysis of the collected data and identified the students whose dispositions had significantly increased or decreased during the process. Some interviews were conducted with those participants to understand the main reasons influencing the change in their dispositions. The results revealed that dispositions can be increased, decreased or maintained during the academic practice thanks to different factors, being the role of the mentor and institution where these were carried out two of the most influential factors. Based on the results, some reflections are presented in regards to the urgent need for professional training programs in social work and teacher education to consider the central role of student dispositions, values, and beliefs in the quality of academic processes.