Journal of Music Teacher Education

Reflective practice positively affects preservice teacher growth. Yet, in structures used to support student teachers, faculty often prioritize professionalism and logistics over pedagogical concerns. The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to describe the use of pedagogical documentation with preservice music teachers to establish a culture of inquiry and community of practice during their student teaching experience. Repositioning supervisor-preservice teacher meeting time as a nonhierarchical space of uncovering student learning may be a pathway to encourage a collective discourse about teaching and facilitate preservice music teachers’ transition to inservice practice.

The purpose of this study was to examine demographics of graduates with bachelor’s degrees in music education to better understand the collegiate pipeline for music teachers of color. White overrepresentation has been observed throughout the music education profession, but the field lacks a large-scale demographic profile for recent college graduates in music education. Using data collected from 565 institutions reporting music education graduates in IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Data System) as well as 40 additional schools, 29,869 students graduated with bachelor’s degrees in music education between 2011 and 2018; 81% were White, 7% were Hispanic/Latino, 4% were Black/African American, 2% were Asian, 0.5% were American Indian/Native Alaskan, 0.1% were Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 2% identified as two or more races. In addition, HBCUs and HSIs comprised only 5% and 6%, respectively, of schools in this data set, yet accounted for almost 1/3 of all Black and 1/4 of all Latino music education graduates.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore four K–12 public school music educators’ lived experiences with teacher–student relationships. Research questions were the following: (a) How do music educators describe teacher–student relationships in their classrooms? (b) What strategies do music educators use to encourage positive, caring relationships with their students? and (c) What benefits and challenges exist for educators in relationship-focused classrooms? Participant selection was purposive; all participants were known to prioritize teacher–student relationships in their teaching. Interview data, coded in multiple phases, revealed six themes that influenced teacher–student relationships: structure; time; family and community connections; choice, voice, and ownership; authenticity; and enthusiasm. The essence of participants’ experiences involved moments of caring connection facilitated by awareness, empathy, and attention to individuals. Implications for music teacher educators include the intentional design of curriculum and instruction, approaches to classroom interactions, and focus on students’ experiences.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether large ensemble teachers supported the inclusion of authentic popular music courses in high school music programs. We distributed the 61-item Popular Music in High School Questionnaire (PMQ) to a nationwide, stratified sample of 1,000 high school large ensemble teachers. Participants perceived several obstacles to widespread adoption of popular music courses in high schools, with their support for curricular inclusivity dependent on region of the country, teaching assignment/duties, and teaching experience. We discuss broad implications of the findings and highlight the cyclical relationship between music teacher preparation programs and curricular music content delivered in U.S. secondary schools.

Coursework across the music education curriculum provides teacher educators an opportunity to introduce and reinforce a range of instructional practices (i.e., creating, performing, responding to, and connecting with music) into the music classroom. Although instrument techniques courses are a foundational part of an undergraduate music education curriculum, previous research suggests that preservice music educators perceive these courses to be less impactful on their future careers than other courses in the curriculum. To create meaningful and transferable learning experiences, music teacher educators can include elements of experimentation, mistake-making, and creativity in brass techniques courses to provide preservice music educators with opportunities for independent learning and problem-solving. By offering these pedagogical techniques, music teacher educators can also model constructivist practices for students to use in their future classrooms.

Preservice music educators are expected to develop a variety of skills throughout their undergraduate program to prepare them for the challenges of classroom instruction. One of the most complex tasks is to learn how to effectively conduct and rehearse large ensembles. Preservice music educators often struggle with conducting gestures, balancing verbal and nonverbal instruction, and error detection. Researchers have explored these and other aspects of conducting and rehearsal skills development and offered suggestions concerning undergraduate music education curricula. The purpose of this review of the literature is to synthesize research related to conducting and rehearsal skills development and offer suggestions for improving preservice music educators’ related skills.