The purpose of this study was to investigate current secondary woodwind, brass, and combined wind instrument methods courses for preservice music teachers across the United States. Two-hundred eleven (N = 211) wind methods course instructors from National Association of Schools of Music–accredited institutions completed an online survey that examined (a) primary area and employment status of instructors, (b) course structure, (c) overall purpose, (d) textbooks, (e) assignments, and (f) assessments used within the courses. Results indicate that full-time faculty members in music education or performance are most likely to teach all three methods courses. The majority of methods courses are taught by one instructor, meet twice a week, and are 50 minutes long. The most frequently listed objective for methods courses was "performance skill" or "pedagogical techniques." Additionally, similarities were found between woodwind and brass methods courses for textbooks, assignments, and assessments, mirroring the overall objective stated by instructors.
The purpose of this study was to examine how undergraduate music education students identify, through a reflective writing exercise, the major characteristics of successful and unsuccessful teachers. We asked two research questions: (1) How did preservice music teachers describe successful and unsuccessful teachers (2) How did perceptions differ based on academic class and/or age? Using a written protocol, we collected data from 134 participants within three institutions and coded the data using figured worlds as a lens. The participants depicted successful teachers with rich description and highlighted interpersonal and intrapersonal aspects. The participants described unsuccessful teachers succinctly; characteristics that emerged included a lack of care and knowledge of students, inflexible teaching methods, and inconsistent standards. Implications for teacher education are proposed.
For approximately 50 years, music education scholars have purported the need for more diversity training among preservice music teachers. This call has become increasingly urgent as contemporary preservice music teachers encounter the most ethnically and culturally diverse classrooms in public school history. Although preservice music teachers may enter the profession with adequate skills to teach music content and concepts, a majority of preservice music teachers are not equipped with the skills and teaching dispositions required to navigate the social and cultural facets they will encounter in their music classrooms. This narrative details a three-part diversity training series designed specifically to develop some degree of critical consciousness for diversity and equity among preservice music teachers.
Preplanning movement may be one way to broaden novice conductors’ vocabulary of gesture and promote motor awareness. To test the difference between guided score study and guided score study with preplanned, intentional movement on the conducting gestures of novice conductors, undergraduate music education students (N = 20) were assigned to one of two conditions and then evaluated on their conducting performance. The experimental group received two sessions of guided score study with planning and practicing of gestures, while the control group received two sessions of guided score study only. Participants were video recorded conducting the piece with a university instrumental ensemble and evaluated by four conducting experts on gestures of dynamics, articulation, cues, releases, and phrasing. Analysis of the mean scores for each rating revealed no significant differences between the two conditions. Analysis of postconducting interview transcriptions revealed several factors that may have contributed to the results.
The purpose of this study was to examine and empirically test the pedagogical claim that playing the piano while listening to choral singers impedes error detection ability. In a within-subjects design, participants (N = 55 preservice teachers) either listened to four excerpts of choral hymns or played a single part (soprano/bass) on the piano while listening. They were asked to locate the errors that occurred in these excerpts. Each excerpt contained a pitch and a rhythm error, in the soprano and bass voice parts. Results of an analysis of covariance (with years of piano study as the covariate) indicated significant main effects for condition and voicing. There were more errors detected in the soprano voicing than in the bass voicing, and more errors detected in the listen condition than in the playing condition. Implications for music teacher education are discussed, including adding practice in error detection activities to methods and conducting courses.
The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to examine the impact that interactions with parents of children with disabilities might have on 10 graduate students (6 men and 4 women) between the ages of 22 and 32 years (M = 26.7 years, SD = 3.5) enrolled in a 3-week intensive music education course. Participants attended the course, 5 days a week, 3 hours a day for a total of 13 class sessions, followed by a final examination. In addition to class discussions based on assigned readings, each day included a presentation from a parent of a child with a disability. Data were generated from daily focus group interviews, daily journal submissions, and individual interviews. Throughout the course, students demonstrated a learning process that progressed from sympathetic concern to empathic understanding.
Mentoring in music education programs is such a ubiquitous part of the process; it is sometimes overlooked or subsumed under other categories. The purpose of this article is to highlight mentoring relationships within an undergraduate music teacher education program. Formal, informal, vertical, and horizontal mentoring are examined from the perspectives of undergraduate preservice music teachers working in a community-university partnership. The data are culled from a 14 month, intrinsic case study of the University of South Carolina String Project, designed to examine the participant experience for all member groups within the string project—the undergraduate preservice teachers, the community students, and the faculty. Mentoring relationships are explored as a critical component of experience for the preservice teachers. Their voices are presented here to illustrate the value they placed on mentoring, as well as the challenges that emerged in construction of a mentoring mosaic as part of their preservice teaching experience.
The purpose of this case study was to describe how one band director used pedagogical content knowledge while working with beginning-band students to help them develop the skill of playing brass lip slurs. Data were generated from (1) video recordings of each class over two different weeks during the school year, (2) "think aloud" interviews in which the teacher described what educational actions and decisions the teacher was making, and (3) detailed observation notes. I used cognitive task analysis to develop a concept map illustrating components of pedagogical content knowledge the teacher used during instruction. The teacher combined content knowledge, knowledge of students, and curriculum knowledge providing examples of how pedagogical content knowledge manifests itself in teaching beginning band. Examining the teacher’s pedagogical content knowledge revealed core teaching practices that may be useful for music teacher educators to understand and develop.
Culturally responsive teaching values students’ identities, backgrounds, and cultural references as key tools for building meaningful learning environments. It has been adopted by many educators globally, but has not been incorporated consistently by music educators. Few researchers in music education have investigated the impact of culturally responsive teaching and misconceptions exist about what it means to teach music in a culturally responsive manner. The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of an in-service program on cooperating teachers’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching. At the conclusion of the workshop, participants rated familiarity and importance of culturally responsive teaching higher than they did prior to the workshop. Sixteen of the 18 participants indicated that the workshop had changed their understanding of culturally responsive teaching.
The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes, communication, and opportunities provided by music teachers to encourage consideration of the music teaching profession. Survey participants (N = 436) were music educators from the Southeast (235), Midwest (51), and Southwest (149) National Association for Music Education regions of the United States. Fifty-two percent of respondents reported encouraging students to explore the music teaching profession, one third reported uncertainty about their encouragement of a music education career, and 21% indicated active discouragement. Personal job satisfaction, student music abilities, and constraints/forces outside the profession were factors for respondents who discourage students from the profession. A majority reported providing opportunities to explore the profession as a viable career option and those experiences reflected the authentic practices of the teaching profession. Professional development opportunities for in-service teachers in the encouragement of students toward music teaching should be strongly considered.
The purpose of this study was to describe the essence of being a male elementary general music teacher (MEGMT). I sought answers for two research questions. First, what are the perceived uniquely male experiences in elementary general music teaching? Second, in what ways might gender be a consideration in the preparation of elementary general music teachers? I conducted semistructured interviews of ten current MEGMTs in one New England state. After three cycles of coding, I found four emergent themes: (a) perceived uniquely male issues in teaching, (b) the hiring process and early years, (c) workplace gender issues, and (d) urban teaching overall. These findings both corroborated and contradicted those of the limited studies about MEGMTs, yielding support to investigate MEGMTs’ multifaceted essence further.
The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to investigate the lived experiences of preservice music teachers using iPads to engage secondary general music students in creating and performing music during field teaching experiences. Two questions guided this research study: (a) What are these preservice teachers’ perceptions of their experiences using iPads to create music and to teach? (b) How do these experiences influence their perceptions of the technology’s effectiveness as a teaching tool? Data were reflections of nine preservice teachers collected over 5 weeks. The essence of the experience was the preservice teachers’ struggle to resolve tensions that emerged while using technology to create and teach music. Tensions caused some to examine cherished beliefs and practices and influenced their development of TPACK (technological pedagogical and content knowledge). Three themes support the essence: (a) tensions, (b) innovation and adaptation, and (c) influence of experiences on perceptions of technology.
The purpose of this study was to examine university conducting teachers’ attitudes about score study, the source materials they used to teach score study, their personal score study practices, and the score study approaches they taught their undergraduate conducting students. Respondents (N = 236) were members of the College Band Directors National Association who taught undergraduate conducting courses. Our findings indicated that "developing an interpretation of how the music should be performed" was considered the most important reason to study the score, that respondents spent an average of 6 hours in score study per week, and that The Art of Conducting by Donald Hunsberger and Roy Ernst was the most frequently used undergraduate conducting textbook. The two most frequently used personal score study practices, which were also reported as the two most frequently taught practices to undergraduate conductors, were "define all unfamiliar music terms" and "initial, casual read-through of the score."
Today’s K–12 music educators interact regularly with students from culturally diverse communities and backgrounds. Although research exists on culturally diverse students, there is comparatively little research on music teachers who do, themselves, represent diverse cultures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of three linguistically diverse music student teachers. The primary research question was the following: In what ways have the participants’ linguistically diverse backgrounds affected their student teaching experiences? Data were collected through a questionnaire, a journal response, observation/postobservation notes, individual semistructured interviews, and a focus group interview. The participants discussed experiencing tensions between using their native languages and using English, although they felt that their own experiences as English Learners (ELs) provided them with a useful perspective in working with EL students and helped them to develop EL-based instructional modifications. The participants had also considered how their linguistic backgrounds would fit into their career plans.
The purpose of this study was to examine which interview questions principals consider most important when interviewing prospective music teachers. Additionally, data were examined to determine any differences between school grade level, school setting, or years of experience as a principal in preferences for specific interview questions. Four-hundred five (N = 405) principals from the state of North Carolina completed an online questionnaire asking each participant to rate 27 interview questions on how important they consider each question to be. Additionally, a free response section was created to allow respondents to list any additional interview questions they viewed as very important that were not listed. Results indicated "How will you connect with your students," "Tell me what I’ll see happening in your classroom," and "How would you make sure students are successful in music" were the top three rated interview questions, respectively. No significant differences were found for ratings of interview questions between school grade level, school setting, or years of experience as a principal.
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of students (N = 26) in an undergraduate music education degree program in an attempt to identify commonalities among students persisting to degree completion. All participants were in their final year of the music education degree at the time of the study. Multiple data collection methods were used to gather information about the students’ experiences in music and teaching, including experiences before and during their time in the degree program. These methods included semistructured interviews, focus groups, written questionnaires, and a researcher journal. The data were analyzed and coded, generating a number of categories for discussion and analysis. The following themes emerged: (a) participants experienced a notable drop in musical confidence early in the degree; (b) participants believed the degree is quite stressful compared to other degrees; (c) participants cited field experiences as important; and (d) participants indicated the importance of peer support to get through the "hard" times.
Teaching is replete with problem solving. Problem solving as a skill, however, is seldom addressed directly within music teacher education curricula, and research in music education has not examined problem solving systematically. A framework detailing problem-solving component skills would provide a needed foundation. I observed problem solving that occurred during 49 video-recorded lessons taught by six renowned artist teachers. When a solution to a problem came about as the result of both teacher and student involvement, I identified the problem-solving behaviors that were differentiable as performed by teacher or student. Five components, synonymous with problem-solving behaviors observed in other fields, emerged as identifiable behaviors that contributed to problem solution: establish goals, evaluate, conceive and consider options, apply principles, and decide and act. To confirm this model, I coded every observable behavior within 18 full-length lessons. Almost every on-task behavior was describable in terms of the proposed problem-solving framework.
The purpose of this study was to examine music education doctoral students’ shifting occupational identity beliefs, career intent and commitment, and overall confidence for teaching in higher education. A total of 124 music education doctoral students, enrolled at 29 institutions of higher education in the United States, completed a onetime, 29-item online questionnaire. Participants identified more strongly as music teacher educators than as K–12 music teachers, and they were more committed to pursuing a career in higher education than K–12 teaching on completing their degree. However, participants who taught K–12 music concurrently during the degree were more likely to consider returning to K–12 teaching on degree completion. Music education doctoral students demonstrated confidence in their ability to train future K–12 music educators but lacked confidence in their ability to achieve a high-quality life balance in higher education. Implications for music education doctoral programs are discussed.
With the intent of informing music teacher education this study aimed to better understand American preservice music teachers’ experiences with and attitudes toward different music genres. The researcher developed and administered a 17-question survey to undergraduate music education majors (N = 124) at eight American universities in the Midwest and Northeast. These music education majors had predominantly classical music performing experiences, and listening activities, and they found Western art music (e.g., classical, jazz) to be most appropriate for use in school music programs. Implications for postsecondary music education curricula and acceptance requirements of programs are offered.
In 2012, a committee at a small Midwestern liberal arts college, Lake Forest College, embarked on a journey to create a music education teacher licensure major. Drawing from narrative inquiry, this article reports how the dean of faculty, education department chair, music department chair, and assistant professor of music/music education coordinator collaborated on a curricular creation. Findings from this process included (a) the created music education major, (b) each participant’s rationale for wanting the new music education major, (c) valued components of the music education major, and (d) unique elements of a music education major at a liberal arts college. Implications from this experience could be valuable for music education programs at small liberal arts colleges, those involved in university/school partnerships such as professional development schools, and those looking to advocate for their music education programs across campus.
The purpose of this replication and extension study was to examine how teacher delivery and student progress influenced experienced teachers’ perceptions of overall teaching effectiveness. Participants (N = 60 experienced music teachers) viewed 12 private lesson excerpts that included four separate conditions: (a) high teacher delivery and more student progress, (b) high teacher delivery and less student progress, (c) low teacher delivery and more student progress, and (d) low teacher delivery and less student progress. Participants rated teacher delivery, student progress, student musicianship, teacher knowledge of subject matter, and overall teaching effectiveness for each private lesson excerpt. Teaching excerpts with high teacher delivery were rated as more effective than excerpts with low teacher delivery, irrespective of student progress. Results of a multiple regression indicated that teacher delivery was the largest predictor for experienced teachers’ ratings of overall teaching effectiveness, followed closely by student progress.
Birdsong as a phenomenon falls at the intersection of two disciplines: ecology and music. The shared space includes bird vocalizations and musical patterns that comprise these vocalizations. The connection between natural sounds and human music has recently garnered attention from both scientists and musicians; however, thematic-based curricular connections between the science of birdsong and musical concepts have yet to be fully explored in research settings. To address this, a fifth-grade curriculum unit combining ecology and music was developed within the organizing theme of Birdsong. Inquiry-based learning guided engagement of students and teachers; the culminating project was student-composed birdsongs. The researchers examined what issues arose when integrating two disciplines, what issues arose when integrating two disciplines, how a curriculum unit based on birdsong differs when students experience problems from dissimilar viewpoints, and how projects can require inquiry-based learning. Implications for teacher preparation are included.
This study documented over contiguous 7-day periods the phonation time dose (Dt) percentages, sleep patterns, and self-reported voice health of preservice music educators (N = 8). Among primary findings, (a) Dt percentages were highest during voice lessons (38.51%), voice practice (34.54%), and choral rehearsals (30.33%) and lowest during nonperformance music classes (6.19%) and nonmusic classes (3.21%); (b) participant Dt percentages ranged from 6.87% to 13.52% overall and 5.93% to 16.93% during school activities; (c) participant daily Dt percentages ranged from 2.36% to 23.95%, (d) self-reported sleep hours displayed a statistically significant, low-positive correlation to self-reported overall singing voice quality; (e) 7 of 10 self-reported voice health indicator statements showed significant correlations to self-reported overall singing voice quality; and (f) participants reported better voice care on the weekend than on weekdays. Results were discussed in terms of comparisons with practicing educators, vocal rest, and implications for music teacher curricula.
The purpose of this multiple instrumental case study was to explore how four high school instrumental music educators assuming the role of facilitative teacher prepared to respond to challenges affecting the social and emotional well-being of their students. The four participant instrumental music educators had a reputation as being caring and having positive professional relationships with their students, represented diverse settings, and had at least 10 years of instrumental music teaching experience. Findings included (a) formative elements leading to the instrumental music educators’ preparation to support included experience, demonstration of care by influential people, parenthood, professional development, and participation in this study and (b) the instrumental music educators experienced challenges associated with providing support, including quantity of challenges, time commitment, and lack of school assistance. Suggestions for teacher educators and in-service professional development are included.
Undergraduate instrumental music education majors (N = 18) taught a series of 5-minute lessons to an ensemble of their peers. Investigators compared participants’ written lesson plans with activities demonstrated during teaching, and calculated frequencies and durations of teacher episodes, student episodes, and overall rates of pacing. Results suggest that although written plans tended to contain vague and nonspecific language, participants relied on their lesson plans during teaching in terms of general content. Analysis of teacher time use indicated that participants were able to significantly reduce teacher talk time and reduce latency time at the beginning of lessons. Findings are similar to previous research in some areas of time use but contrast with results of previous research in relation to participants’ reliance on lesson plans during teaching. The authors use these results to recommend deeper investigation into the nature of transfer of learned lesson-planning skills across various teaching contexts.
The purpose of this inquiry was to examine the current reflections of 13 experienced teachers on their past perceptions of mentoring as documented by Conway (2003a). Participants read the 2003 study and examined all data collected in 1999-2000, including journals, two questionnaires, individual interviews, focus group interviews, mentor interviews, and principal interviews. They then wrote an e-mail reflection on that reading and participated in an individual interview regarding their current perceptions on mentoring beginning music teachers. I sought to understand whether findings represented in the 2003 study were perceived to be still relevant today. In addition, I sought to uncover additional insights regarding mentoring that these participants could offer. Findings are presented in the following categories: (a) mentoring can be valuable for the mentor; (b) disagreement regarding who should mentor; and (c) new teachers must be proactive in finding answers to questions. Themes consistent with the 2003 findings include (a) a lack of consistency in mentor programs and teacher perceptions of value, (b) curricular concerns, (c) music teachers need music mentors, and (d) time for mentor–mentee interaction. Connections are made to past research, and suggestions for future research and mentoring practice are provided.
The music education profession needs the best and brightest students with potential to be excellent music educators to choose music education as a profession. Past research has identified several influences in the career choice of music educators, including important others in students’ lives. In particular, high school music teachers appear to influence the career choices of students who choose to major in music education. The present study surveyed a purposeful sample of high school music teachers to help illuminate these important others’ beliefs and actions on students’ music education career choices. Students’ love of music and their in-school experiences were perceived to highly influence career choice; direct encouragement and identifying students with a love and passion for music were frequently identified strategies. Through increased understanding of the career choice process, music teacher educators can work most effectively with K–12 teachers in music teacher recruitment efforts.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of behavioral contracting on preservice elementary teachers’ performance achievement on the soprano recorder. Participants were elementary and special education majors (N = 60) enrolled in an undergraduate elementary music methods course. The study used a withdrawal design (ABA) composed of 2-week baseline–contract–baseline phases. Participants performed an assigned excerpt on the soprano recorder at the conclusion of each phase, and the tempo and number of errors performed were scored as data points for each participant. Results showed that participants performed with significantly higher tempos and significantly fewer errors during the contracting phase. Following the contracting phase, participants’ performed tempo continued to increase even in the absence of the behavioral contract. These results are consistent with previous research suggesting that behavioral contracting does have a positive impact on students’ performance skills.
The purpose of this study was to examine the participants’ perceptions of the concurrent educational and musical interactions among student teachers, cooperating teachers, and me as a supervising teacher and participant observer. Two cooperating teachers and two student teachers worked together daily for 2 months while teaching elementary and middle school string orchestra students. Concurrently, these four teachers and I participated in chamber music experiences each week. Data included individual interviews, observations of student teachers’ teaching and music-making interactions, and researcher’s reflections and notes. Participants described advantages of working together in an educational setting: student teachers formed a support system, student and cooperating teachers learned from each other, and sectionals benefited the string students and cooperating teachers. Participants found musical interactions were considered positive and valued experiences, helped the student teachers reach a higher level of chamber music performance, helped forge relationships between participants, and had personal and educational implications.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe preservice music teachers’ perceptions of their experiences participating in virtual field experiences and mentoring episodes with experienced teachers during their elementary general music methods course. Participants were 21 preservice music teachers and 8 elementary general music teachers. Each cohort of two or three preservice teachers was assigned a mentor teacher. Using virtual conferencing technology, cohorts completed two observations of their mentor teacher, two 30-minute post-observation conferences with their mentor teacher, and three post–field teaching conferences with their mentor teacher. Data were preservice teachers’ written reflections about post-observation conferences and post–field teaching conferences. Analysis revealed challenges to and benefits of the virtual observations and conferences. Challenges included limitations of the technology and virtual experiences, and difficulty scheduling experiences. Benefits included improved logistics, view of reality, expanded perspective, and learning from dialogic inquiry. Overall, benefits were perceived to outweigh challenges.
This study concerned preservice students’ commitments to teaching music by comparing potential influencing factors encountered during the student teaching experience. Specific questions were as follows: (a) How committed to teaching were preservice students at the beginning of their student teaching experiences compared with at the end of their experiences? (b) What extent do certain factors influence preservice music teachers’ commitments to teaching at the beginning and at the end of their student teaching experiences? (c) What extent do certain factors influence preservice teachers from not becoming a teacher at the end and at the beginning of their student teaching experiences? (d) What extent would an opportunity to perform on a regular basis influence a preservice teachers’ decision to become a music teacher? Participants completed a pre-/postexperience survey indicating the extent that a variety of factors may influence their commitments to teaching music. Findings showed participants remained committed to teaching after their student teaching experiences and would most likely choose to teach than perform.
Gaining insight into reasons student musicians choose or do not choose to pursue music education as a career is invaluable to our efforts to sustain and strengthen our discipline. This study sought to determine the musical experiences and motivating factors for outstanding high school musicians who might pursue a career in music education. A 21-question survey seeking demographic information, musical experiences, and future plans was administered to 1,205 all-state ensemble members. The results suggest that these student musicians are receiving many varied musical experiences and leadership opportunities. Whereas 65% anticipate majoring in some field of music, no fewer than 18% are specifically considering a career in music education. These students reported significantly greater involvement in summer music camps and musical leadership opportunities. Comments—both positive and negative—concerning the music education field reveal further differences between those interested and not interested in music education as a potential career path.
Forty students (N = 40) enrolled in the world drumming classes at two midsize urban high schools, School A (n = 18) and School B (n = 22), responded to a survey in which they freely responded to questions about their music preference, cultural background, school environment, their involvement in music in their schools and community, and how they believe their music choices express their identities. Results revealed that students in School A, where teachers and administrators seemed to have adopted culturally relevant pedagogies, articulated their perceptions of music, culture, and identity in a more meaningful way.
Collaborative professional development (PD) efforts are increasingly popular and successful across the United States. In this article, we highlight the voice of the teacher in brief descriptions of PD efforts that support collaboration as a key component of meaningful music teacher PD. To draw a vivid picture of the potential and possibilities in models of music teacher collaborative PD, we connect eight practicing teachers’ positive PD experiences to recommendations from recent research findings. We also make suggestions for music teacher educators about the implications of these findings about the establishment of a disposition in preservice teachers toward valuing collaborative development.
The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice educators’ knowledge of basic information about classical repertoire found in popular culture. Specifically, preservice music teachers answered whether they (a) had heard the music before, (b) could name the titles of the music, (c) could name the composers of the music, and (d) could identify the music history periods in which the music was composed. Participants (N = 200) for this study were preservice music educators who listened to 30 classical music excerpts and answered the research questions for each piece. The majority of preservice educators (94%) reported previously hearing the music. However, many could not correctly title the music (71%), name the composer of the music (65%), or identify the period the music was composed (61%). Further results and implications are discussed within the article.
In the field of music teacher preparation, the transition from teacher to teacher educator can be a time of uncertainty and anxiety. Knowing the potential for struggle during formation of a teacher educator identity, we investigated our personal development as music educators at two points: (a) preparing to enter academia and (b) mentoring a future teacher educator. The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to document the emergent identity of Vanessa, a graduate student transitioning to music teacher educator, working alongside Lisa, a professor transitioning to mentor and advisor. Through storying, we have identified several milestones in Vanessa’s emergent identity as a teacher educator, concerns encountered by Vanessa in teaching her first major music education methods course, and types of interactions that were catalysts to Vanessa’s development as a music teacher educator and Lisa’s development as a mentor.
This study was designed to (a) provide teacher educators and researchers with information about the structure and content of music student teaching seminars by gathering data on current practices and (b) examine whether the perceived needs of music student teachers were being met through the content and structure of the student teaching seminars. Music education professors (N = 45) participated in a researcher-designed survey that included questions pertaining to the student teaching internship and accompanying seminar course. Results indicated that seminar instructors addressed student teacher responsibilities and preparation, classroom management, and employment more extensively than any other areas. Professional portfolios, résumé writing, and mock interviews represented the most common seminar activities. Findings suggest that with the exception of classroom management, the topics that instructors addressed most extensively in the music student teaching seminar did not align with the perceived needs of music student teachers, as reported in extant research.
Music teacher education has been evolving in response to increasing cultural diversity of American society. This has been guided by the multicultural education movement that challenges preparation programs and teachers to consider revisions in pedagogy. This essay presents a historical, societal, and pedagogical framework for the multicultural developments in music teacher education, and offers six cases to illuminate the nature of pedagogical shifts that are taking place. The cases detail innovations in a range of settings, from music teacher education programs to the music classrooms. These accounts point to the importance of extended encounters with diverse cultures. Such experiences provide opportunities to confront musical assumptions and expand teaching beyond the limits of the traditional Eurocentric paradigm. The programs resulting from these experiences offer possibilities for music teacher education as it evolves by highlighting specific processes through which the field can continue to adapt to a culturally diverse American society.
Secondary school choral conductors from the United States were invited to complete a 10-minute electronic survey about their choral rehearsal priorities and approaches. Respondents (N = 239) reported (a) rehearsal priorities on fundamental choral elements (balance/blend, diction, dynamics, intonation, interpretation/musicianship, rhythm, technique, and tone quality), (b) rehearsal approaches (micro–macro/macro–micro), and (c) primary professional development influences. Choral elements most frequently cited as rehearsal priorities were intonation and tone quality. Differences were discovered in rehearsal approaches as a function of teaching experience with those who taught for 10 or more years reporting a macro–micro approach. Observing other conductors/ensembles at conferences and continuing education were primary influences cited. Though there were no statistically significant differences (p > .05) between high school and middle school choral directors’ choices of rehearsal priorities or approaches, notable discrepancies were found. Implications for the preparation of choral educators are discussed, and recommendations for future research are presented.
National Association of Schools of Music–accredited music education programs were investigated to determine how preservice students were equipped to address language arts within the general music classroom. The study began with a content analysis of degree programs (N = 100), followed by a survey taken by instructors of the general music course related to perceptions and attitudes toward reading integration. Interviews were conducted to examine how instructors addressed language arts within the general music course. Data indicated that more than half the institutions required a reading course. Additionally, instructor attitudes were favorable toward reading integration, and a majority of the instructors perceived an awareness of a national reading crisis. Interview results revealed consistent themes toward reading integration and preservice teacher preparation to include (a) an awareness of key concepts and vocabulary in reading instruction, (b) instructor modeling of reading strategies applied to music instruction, and (c) opportunities for students to demonstrate integrative practices through assignments.
In the United States, all music education majors at the tertiary level who graduate from institutions accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music must demonstrate piano proficiency. Yet many practicing music educators report that they do not use the piano while teaching due to a lack of perceived competence. Peer collaboration and cognitive strategies have been demonstrated to be effective when learning. Typically, piano skills are taught in group piano laboratories, where collaborative work could be incorporated. This study explored development of sight-reading and harmonization skills among students (N = 12) during the final semester of group piano, by employing cognitive strategies and collaborative learning. In this small study, students engaged in collaborative learning improved test scores. Additionally, they displayed improvement in self-efficacy, problem solving, and deliberate practice and demonstrated persistence in completing piano assignments.
The purpose of this study was to investigate music educators’ perceptions of their educational preparation and the availability of instructional supports to work with students with disabilities in their classrooms/ensembles. Music educators (N = 1,128) representing all 50 United States responded to a survey fashioned after a similar instrument used by Gfeller, Darrow, and Hedden. Results indicated slight positive increases over the past two decades in regards to types of course offerings, in-service attendance and availability, involvement in the Individualized Education Program process, placement decisions, consultation with special education experts, and provision of adequate preparation time and resource materials/adaptive devices. Results also indicated that current music education practices (e.g., music-specific coursework, workshops, and in-services) created greater feelings of preparedness to work with students with disabilities and increased attendance at additional educational opportunities. The discussion includes further results and educational implications.
The purpose of this study was to examine research being conducted on student teaching in four eminent music education research journals (Journal of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education). A total of 1,103 articles were reviewed for the period between 1997 and 2011. Only 87 (8%) articles met the inclusion criteria. These included 44 articles in Journal of Music Teacher Education (29% of total), 20 articles in Journal of Research in Music Education (5% of total), 18 articles in Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education (5% of total), and 5 articles in Update (3% of total). Consistent with previous research on student teaching, a majority of the publications examined dealt with student teachers’ perceptions of their experiences (33%), and the relationship between teacher preparation programs and partner K–12 schools (26%), whereas only one publication (1%) examined the effect of student teachers on students’ learning.
This mixed-methods study combined qualitative and quantitative data to identify middle school music teachers who perceive themselves as highly effective jazz teachers and to uncover the experiences that have best prepared them to teach middle school jazz. Quantitative data suggested that (a) playing in college jazz ensembles, (b) taking a college jazz pedagogy course, (c) mentorship in jazz, and (d) taking a college improvisation course all significantly correlate with one’s perceived ability to teach middle school jazz. However, both qualitative and quantitative data indicated that listening to jazz and playing as a professional jazz musician are among the most closely associated experiences to perceived ability, suggesting that the college jazz experience, although important, may not be the most important way of preparing future middle school jazz educators.
Research on preservice music teacher development has the potential to inform music teacher preparation curricula in several significant ways and ultimately serve to enhance the profession at large. Investigations drawing from robust frameworks that theorize how preservice music teachers develop can help researchers clarify epistemological assumptions and terms, delimit research problems in a meaningful way, inform approaches for dealing with data, and aid in developing lines of research that are addressing problems in the field in a complementary manner. The goals of this article are to (a) discuss the value of a research framework and the several ways one can conceptualize a framework, (b) briefly present several frameworks for studying teacher development that have been generated in the context of general education, and (c) describe some unique aspects of music teaching and music teaching contexts that could inform theoretical frameworks of preservice music teacher development.
The purpose of this study was to determine if preservice music educators specifically develop social intelligence during their student teaching. Sixty-six undergraduate senior music education students were administered the Interpersonal Perception Task–15 immediately prior to and directly after the completion of their 15-week student teaching placements. Additionally, participants were asked to list the top three skills they felt they had developed and/or improved on the most during their student teaching. Results of a Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test indicated no significant differences between the pre– and post–student teaching Interpersonal Perception Task–15 scores. From a total of 198 comments, 53% of skills developed and/or improved on the most during the student teaching were nonsocial skills and 47% were social skills. Additionally, 48.5% of the responses included Teaching Skills, 33.3% involved Personal Skills, and 18.2% were Musical Skills. Further breakdown of comments revealed the most frequently listed skills were "Classroom management/Discipline," "Lesson planning/Preparation," "Pacing," "Communication," and "Ear training/Listening skills," in that order.
This study sought to examine the relative effectiveness of two forms of communication: verbal instructions and conducting gestures. High school choral students (N = 44) performed "Music Alone Shall Live" in a variety of ways (with and without word stress, and with varied articulations), while watching a video recording of a conductor and reading verbal instructions. Experienced choral teachers (N = 30) listened and rated the articulation and word stress of the students on a 7-point Likert-type scale. Results indicated that (a) experienced teachers perceived more staccato articulation and word stress when singers responded to verbal instructions (vs. conducting gestures) and (b) experienced teachers perceived more staccato and word stress in performances when verbal instructions and conducting gestures were congruent, compared with when these messages were incongruent.
Student teaching is the capstone experience of undergraduate music teacher preparation, and in-service and preservice music teachers consider it the most valuable part of preservice teacher education. Researchers have examined student teachers’ skills, pedagogical content knowledge, and reflective practice. Other topics have included the student teaching triad members (cooperating teacher, university supervisor, student teacher), teacher identity, and preparedness for teaching. A current review of the research literature on music student teaching not only provides a summary of extant research but also reveals existing gaps in the scholarship and therefore direction for further inquiry. With those aims in mind, this article examines selected music education scholarship in the area of student teaching with particular emphasis on two areas of contemporary research literature: student teachers’ knowledge and development and the people and placements in student teaching.
The purpose of this case study was to explore the experiences of undergraduates enrolled in a music education fundamentals course featuring a significant service-learning component. In addition to attending weekly class meetings, students provided 30 minutes a week of classroom support for teachers at a preschool center serving students with and without disabilities. Student reflective writings collected throughout the semester, formal observations, and semistructured interviews with students, cooperating teachers, and the principal formed the pool of data. The data set was analyzed for themes relating to the perceived benefits of the service-learning experience, the undergraduates’ perceptions of children with disabilities, and undergraduates’ attitudes toward civic engagement. The value of service-learning projects, and the effect of these experiences on the learning and personal growth of undergraduate music education majors are discussed in an effort to augment a growing understanding of the role of service-learning in the preparation of preservice music educators.
Preservice music teachers enter the profession with firmly held beliefs of what music education entails. With an increasingly diverse population of students in PreK–12 education in the United States and Sweden, a collaborative, intercultural immersion course was designed to challenge preservice music teachers’ beliefs. Twelve music education majors participated in the intercultural course. Data consisted of focus group discussions. With Bildung as a theoretical framework, the following five themes emerged: Beyond Tourism, Democracy and Classroom Management, Shared Experiences, Something to Bring Back, and Old Meets New. The intercultural immersion course provided a scaffold for the participants to consider what and why they teach the content that they do and the ramifications of making such decisions on their potential teaching practices of PreK–12 music students.
This literature review examines research focusing on preservice music teachers’ developing beliefs about teaching and the ways those beliefs influence their practices. Dewey’s theory of experience suggests that experience influences beliefs, and studies of preservice music teachers support this theory. Music education researchers have examined sources of preservice teachers’ beliefs and the challenges for teacher educators in helping preservice teachers identify and articulate them. Studies are also reviewed documenting methods that music teacher educators have explored in helping preservice teachers link their beliefs with teaching practices in methods courses and early teaching experiences. Future research could examine the longitudinal development of beliefs from preservice through in-service teaching and effective methods for assessing preservice teachers’ development. Further research is also needed in preparing teachers with the desire and the skills needed to address the needs of culturally and musically diverse students.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of verbal praise. Modeled after the work of Mueller and Dweck, participants were 87 fourth-grade students who each took a simple rhythm-tapping test and were assigned one of three treatments: (a) verbal praise for effort, (b) verbal praise for talent, or (c) no praise. Each student was then asked to select an achievement goal (performance or learning) followed by a second rhythm-tapping test of challenging rhythms. Following both tasks, students were asked to rate measures of motivation and performance attribution. Results indicated that students who received praise for effort more often selected learning goals and reported a higher attitude toward task persistence. Students who received praise for talent more frequently selected performance goals. Results suggest that music teachers and teacher educators might examine the use of verbal praise and reconsider how the idea of talent or ability is conveyed within the context of a music classroom.