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RETHINKING MUSIC TEACHER EDUCATION FOR THE
GREATER GOOD OF ALL LEARNERS:
PERSPECTIVES OF MUSIC TEACHERS
Linda Neelly, Mary E. Yakimowski, and Sarah D. NewtonPresentation at the annual meeting for the
Northeastern Educational Research AssociationRocky Hill, Connecticut
October 2011
Office of Assessment
Purpose of this Study
Gain perspectives on music teacher pre-service education for 21st century music learning and teaching.
Research QuestionsWhat are the perspectives of music teachers
about pre-service ed for the next 10 years?
Follow-up Questions:Are there differences in the perspectives of primarily-vocal versus
primarily-instrumental teachers on selected areas to focus?What are the most significant opportunities for the professional
development of music educators for the next 10 years?What offerings of your teacher preparation program were the
most valuable in your preparation for the next 10 years?
Literature Review Jones (2010): Teacher Education needs to consider that the
musical skills and talents of future students may not be evident in the same frameworks of 21st Century thinking
Mantie (2008): Possibilities exist to interact technologically with inner city students in order to facilitate their constructions as enhancements of their musical identities
Ahlestedt’s (2002): Surveyed 237 elementary school music teachers: 85% suggested more field experiences
86% recommended increased pedagogical studies27% urged more music-specific coursework
16% advocated for learning with a practicing teacher
Methodology - Sampling
102 respondentsCT, RI, MA, NY, VT, and NH
National Association of Music Merchants, National Association for Music Education
graduate students University #1
graduates of the University #2
Instrumentation‣ Background Information
‣ Professional Characteristics‣ Professional Experience‣ Educational Viewpoints
Analyseso Descriptive Statisticso Analysis of Variance
o Post-hoc Testing (as necessary)
Participant Characteristics56.44% female
89.22% White
55% teach in elementary, 48% in
middle, 42% in high schools
69.69% work in suburban, 29.29% in
rural, 23.23% in urban
communities
Primary Teaching Area
Descriptive ResultsImportant Components of Music Teacher Preparation
For the Next 10 Years (Highest)
Component Mean
w. Creating meaningful music learning experiences for students
4.86
d. Implementing classroom management skills 4.77
a. Mastering content in your specialty area 4.76
y. Encouraging life-long learning 4.72
am. Challenging students to meet their fullest potential 4.67
al. Degree of preparation for working in the teaching profession
4.61
v. Challenging all students to meet their fullest music potential
4.60
x. Self-reflecting on practice 4.58
c. Implementing classroom lesson plans 4.53
s. Advocating for program 4.51
Important Components of Music Teacher Preparation
For the Next 10 Years (Lowest)Component Mean
u. Preparing students for working in the music profession
3.49
q. Participating in formal school partnerships
3.44
p. Supervising teachers 3.33
z. Standardized assessment skills (e.g., norm-referenced tests)
3.16
ANOVA Results
Did the importance of teacher preparation components vary as a function of respondents’ primary musical teaching areas (vocal, instrumental, or both)?
Standardized assessment skills [F (2, 75) = 3.32, p < 0.05].
Post-hoc analysis: Vocal (M = 3.54) > Instrumental (M = 2.76)
Music educator standards statements (Highest):
a. Ability to teach music at various levels to different age groups and in a variety of classroom and ensemble settings (M = 4.64)
f. Ability to accept, amend, or reject methods and materials based on personal assessment of specific teaching situations (M = 4.58)
4.64 4.26
Descriptive ResultsMusic educator standards statements (Lowest):
c. Ability to assess aptitudes, experiential backgrounds, orientations of individuals and groups of students, and the nature of subject matter, and to plan educational programs to meet assessed needs (M = 4.26)
4.64 4.26
Future Music Teacher Preparation Program Admissions Requirements (Highest)
Characteristic N Percentage
Drive and determination to become a teacher
57 95%
Excellent music skills (tonal, rhythmic, expressive elements)
50 83.3%
Personable, collaborative, and enthusiastic characteristics
49 81.7%
GPA for academic courses (general education)
47 78.3%
Future Music Teacher Preparation Program Admissions Requirements (Lowest)
Characteristic N Percentage
g. Prior experiences in music only collaborations (section leader, private teacher, music counselor)
20 33.3%
h. Prior experiences working with special populations
10 16.7%
i. Prior experiences working with "at risk" youth
8 13.3%
j. Prior experiences working in urban settings
8 13.3%
What offerings of your teacher preparation program were the most valuable in your preparation for the next 10 years?
Field experiences
Research
Diversity
Faculty experience
“The best experiences were
those that involved going into
schools and working with
actual students…Music
education majors need to be in
the classroom early and
often.”
Qualitative Results
Qualitative ResultsWhat are the most significant opportunities for the professional development of music educators for the next 10 years?
Incorporation of technology
Additional learning opportunities
Modernization of programs
Assessment
“Nobody knows more about teaching music than current music teachers.”
Despite general satisfaction with their respective music teacher education programs, those surveyed in this study indicate that present preparation of future music educators may not be adequate, in light of the changing needs of students and evolution of the field of music education.
Respondents’ ratings of their teacher preparation programs
Perceptions of this field’s ability to train future educators
Recommended