Abstract
The first article I wrote from my 1997 dissertation was a literature review sent to Update: Applications of Research in Music Education and promptly returned back to me by the Editor. The note from the Editor read something like, “I have returned this manuscript to you without sending it for review” (nowadays an Editor would electronically “un-submit” the manuscript). He went on to say, “Please note that a good literature review has the following criteria. . .” and he also included a hard copy of a literature review that had recently been published in Update. After I got beyond the “a good literature review would” comment, I realized that he was trying to help me by teaching me how to write a journal article literature review before sending it out to reviewers. I read what he sent and resubmitted my article, which was then published in 1999. In the spirit of that assistance provided to me, I devote this “From the Editor” column to suggestions for contributors who wish to publish literature reviews as well as book reviews in the Journal of Music Teacher Education (JMTE).
Regardless of the type of manuscript, the JMTE has consistent evaluation criteria. The section below is quoted from the JMTE Editorial Board Manual which is provided to all new members of the JMTE Editorial Board.
Guidelines and Requirements for Reviewing Manuscript Content
Please be sure that the text:
Has a teacher education focus or orientation—for example, provides an educated assessment and opinions about the meanings of ideas, events, past/current decisions, decision-making frameworks, systems, educational content, etc.
Fits into current article types, including research article; review of literature, analysis of programs, practices, and policies; or book review.
Shows originality and reflects the author’s thinking as much as, and preferably more than, the thinking of others.
Has internal integrity, is thorough and logical, and presents conclusions that flow from the analysis.
Probes deeply into the issue addressed, pushes discussions beyond common wisdom and familiar rhetoric, and provides new syntheses.
Can withstand professional scrutiny and analysis by readers with extensive knowledge of music teacher education.
Is between 20 and 25 pages including references.
Note that all manuscripts need all of these elements and that the page limit is listed at 25 pages including references. I now address criteria specific to the literature review type of submissions followed by book reviews and refer to several past literature reviews and book reviews that have been published in the JMTE.
Reviews of Literature
I think the biggest challenge for most authors writing literature reviews is understanding that writing a literature review as part of a study is different than authoring a literature review as the “end product” of the scholarship. Most of us were taught to write a “Chapter Two” for a thesis or dissertation where the primary goal was to support the need for new research or provide context for a new study. The “Conducting a Review of Related Literature” chapter in Miksza et al. (2023) provides excellent suggestions for finding sources, formatting, summarizing, organizing, and writing this type of work. For the JMTE, a review of a literature article (5,000 words) will need a more narrow scope than a review for a thesis or dissertation, and the purpose of this type of paper is to share what research has said about a specific topic, critique the body of work, and conclude with suggestions for teacher education practice as well as future research.
Pellegrino (2009) is one of the most well-cited literature reviews (with over 200 citations) in the JMTE. I expect this is not only due to the important topic of “identity” but also to the article format which provides appropriate detail regarding each study as well as critique and synthesis of the work overall. Studies are presented in chronological order within sections, and, in a succinct way, Pellegrino shares the design, participants, findings, and implications of each work. She also does a good job of labeling “position papers” and “articles” that are not empirical for the reader. The article presents five themes developed by the author based on the literature and she concludes by setting an agenda for future work in this area making suggestions regarding theoretical frameworks, designs, and future research study questions.
In my 2014 work with Hibbard and Rawlings (Conway et al., 2014), we introduced two new terms (micropolitics and micropolitical literacy) to music teacher education and provided information regarding how these had been studied in general education. Most of the paper is devoted to definitions and description of studies outside of music. However, in each section of the review, we provided a “music teacher education connection” section (with that specific heading). We were also careful to present the work in chronological order, when appropriate, and provide enough study detail so that the reader could make some decisions for themselves about the work. The Journal of Teacher Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, and Teacher Education Quarterly along with Educational Researcher are just a few of the journals I would suggest for teacher education researchers interested in exploring intersections between music teacher education and the much larger field of teacher education.
The most recent literature review in the JMTE is Grey’s (2023) examination of literature regarding conducting and rehearsal skills in preservice music teacher education, which includes slightly different (and equally appropriate) formatting in comparison to the first two I shared. Grey provides a strong rationale for the need for preservice teachers to develop conducting and rehearsal skills and then synthesizes literature on each. She does an excellent job of sharing her method for selecting studies and I would encourage all authors to have something similar. Her studies are not always presented in chronological order and details of studies are not shared. However, given the number of studies she presented, the choice to write in a thematic, rather than historical presentation makes sense in this paper. She concludes the paper with a robust section on suggestions for teacher education divided into six sections that gesture back to the research.
I would encourage readers to check out these examples and note there is not a “one size fits all” approach to writing a standalone literature review. Authors need to be creative in their presentation and in gathering an appropriate set of studies that relate to one another and to the topic of the review. A final note regarding literature reviews in the JMTE specifically. Too often we get submissions about topics outside of teacher education (i.e., learning in P-12 or some other setting) and then the authors try to connect to the JMTE by ending a paper with comments about how teacher education should respond. A literature review for the JMTE needs to present literature on music teacher education and/or teacher education, not literature in other areas.
Book Reviews
Many of the best book reviews in education that I have read have appeared in the journal Educational Researcher (ER) and so I asked ChatGPT 1 to generate key features of book reviews appearing in ER. I have taken the list that Chat GPT provided from ER and edited it to include what a music education-focused book review should include.
Key Features
Focus on Relevance: Book reviews for JMTE should have a direct impact on the field of music teacher education. This includes texts on music education research, policy, pedagogy, and the sociology or psychology of music education.
Critical Analysis: Rather than just summarizing the content of a book, a JMTE book review author must engage critically with the book’s arguments, methodologies, and potential contributions to the field. The reviewer must analyze how well the book’s claims align with current music teacher education research or how it challenges prevailing paradigms in our field. Connections must be made between the book and other scholarship in music education (empirical, historical, philosophical, and practitioner articles).
Scholarly Tone: Book reviews are written in a scholarly tone, offering detailed assessments and discussions on the strengths and limitations of the book.
Timeliness: Book reviews typically focus on recent publications that contribute to ongoing debates in the field of education, offering insights into the latest trends, controversies, or emerging areas of inquiry. The JMTE requires that a book for review has been published within the last 5 years of the time the review is submitted for consideration.
Sample Book Reviews in Music Education
Although many journals that accept book reviews publish reviews that are shorter in length (even as short as 1,000 words) than a research article, the three samples I am sharing are all longer-style book reviews. My co-authored book review of an adult learning text from general education (Conway et al., 2012) meets the criteria outlined above in the following ways: topic, timeliness, and most importantly, connections to 23 additional sources in music education that intersect with the topics of the book throughout the review.
In the journal Arts Education Policy Review (AEPR), Rawlings and Shaw (2014) provide a general overview of a teacher evaluation text and then proceed with a section titled “Connections to Arts Education” which integrates studies in arts education on teacher evaluation and student learning data as well as National Association for Music Education (NAfME) resources on the topic. Also appearing in AEPR, Vaughan-Marra and Marra (2017) state the purpose of their book review is to: examine the recommendations presented by Darling-Hammond, Rothman, and colleagues through the lens of music education research and policy review. Specific areas of focus include: (a) recruitment and rigor of teacher education programs, (b) alternative routes into the teaching profession, (c) teacher induction and new teacher support, (d) career advancement and professional development support, and (e) teacher evaluation. (p. 123)
They discuss the topics that the book authors share within these sub-areas as they work in 37 references to similar work in music education. If you are interested in producing a book review that is publishable in the JMTE, I would encourage you to review these three examples.
Conclusion
I have heard colleagues in our field suggest that spending time on journal-length literature reviews or book reviews is not time well spent as these might not “count” as highly for tenure and promotion. Although it is true that most institutions will require some original research publications, I would disagree that these types of manuscripts do not “count.” In fact, some literature reviews are especially well-cited, and citations are an important factor in claiming relevance for your work in the field. Another indication of value is that many professors assign their graduate students literature review readings published in journals and handbooks. Also, some institutions value name recognition and publishing compelling book reviews and literature reviews are two ways to help colleagues learn more about your work and look for your continued insights and studies on this topic. I list my literature reviews and book reviews (included below in this article) in the “Publications” section of my CV with all other types of research and no one has ever questioned that. If we want to share what we are finding and what we know, these types of accessible articles are important for the field. Please reach out if you are seeking assistance in preparing these sorts of manuscripts.
My Published Literature Reviews and Book Reviews
Literature Reviews (From Most Recent)
Conway, C. M., Hibbard, S., & Rawlings, J. (2014). The potential use of micropolitics in examining personal and professional experiences of music teachers. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 25(1), 23–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057083714539768
Conway, C. M. (2001). What has research told us about beginning music teachers? Journal of Music Teacher Education, 10(2), 14–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057083701010002010
Conway, C. M. (1999). The case method and music teacher education. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 17(2), 20–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/10570837010100020104
Conway, C. M. (1998). Grouping and tracking in instrumental music. Dialogue in Instrumental Music Education, 22(2), 91–97.
Conway, C. M. (1997). Reflection and the music methods course. Southeastern Journal of Music Education, 10.
Book Reviews (From Most Recent) 2
Conway, C.M., & Bulgren, C. (2016). Book review of “Learning to Teach.” Journal of Music Teacher Education, 25(3), 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057083715586262
Conway, C. M., Edgar, S., Hansen, E., & Palmer, C. M. (2011). Book review of “Learning in adulthood.” Journal of Music Teacher Education. 21(2), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057083710397590
Conway, C. M., & West, C. L. (2009). Book review of the “Sage handbook of curriculum and instruction,” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 182, 79–92. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27861464
Conway, C. M. (2009). Book review of “Effective teacher induction and mentoring” by Michael Strong. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 19(1), 93–104. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057083709344691
Conway, C. M., & Stanley, A. M. (2006). Book review of Michael Q. Patton’s “Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.).” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 168, 83–88. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40319463
Conway, C. M. (2002). Book review of “Coaching and mentoring first-year and student teachers” by Podsen and Denmark. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 11(2), 28–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/105708370201100207
Conway, C. M. (1998). Curriculum and aims by Decker Walker and Jonas Soltis: A book review. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 8(1), 25–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/105708379800800105
