The purpose of this research was to investigate the type, quantity, and effects of technology instruction currently being provided to undergraduate music education majors. Undergraduate participants ( n = 46) at 10 degree-granting institutions completed an online survey on the technology instruction received during their undergraduate degree programs and their plans for future technology implementation in their classrooms. Participants’ responses indicated that 63% had taken a required technology course during their undergraduate degree program. Required technology courses were most commonly taught by the college/school/department of music, with music notation software and sound mixing and editing applications being the most common topics covered. Participants indicated that more technology instruction in instructional and student-centered applications was desired, with 43% of participants indicating that they did not feel prepared to effectively use technology in their future teaching positions.

The purpose of this descriptive quantitative research was to examine undergraduate music teacher education curricula in the context of professional identity formation and in comparison with teacher education curricula in other subjects. Comprehensive course listings for undergraduate degree programs in music teacher education, mathematics teacher education, and English teacher education were gathered from the official course catalogs of 16 higher education institutions. These data were coded and analyzed to determine the amount of coursework in each program devoted to developing pedagogical skills, subject-area content knowledge, and other skills. Results indicated that while the amount of content-focused and pedagogy-focused courses was relatively balanced in English and mathematics teacher education programs, music teacher education programs devoted a significantly larger proportion of the curriculum to content-based courses. While scholars have called on music teacher educators to prioritize the development of a teacher identity in undergraduate music education students, current music teacher education curricula may not be aligned with these recommendations.

The purpose of this grounded theory research was to investigate music teachers’ perceptions of the role and influence of performances in K–12 music programs and the processes by which these performances impact music teaching and learning. Three specific research questions informed this study: (1) What role do performances play in school music programs? (2) How are music teachers’ pedagogical decisions informed or influenced by their efforts to mount performances? and (3) What other aspects of the music teaching-learning process are influenced by efforts to mount performances, and what form does this influence take? Five themes emerged to describe the ways in which efforts to prepare and mount performances interact with the music teaching and learning process: community expectations, student motivation, time management, teaching strategies, and teacher views of performance. These themes were used to generate an emergent theory including two interlocking process cycles that illustrate the ways in which performances are situated within school music programs. Implications for the field of music education and for future research are discussed.

Through the use of an intrinsic case study, I investigated student and teacher perceptions of a collaborative and student-directed music learning approach in a high school choral classroom. Students ( N = 29) in a beginning high school choir were asked to choose and learn a piece of repertoire without substantive input or help from the choral teacher. Results indicated that students completed this project successfully and achieved a well-received public performance of the piece. Students reported a strong sense of accomplishment as well as increased collaboration skills and opportunities to apply their music knowledge. Although students and teacher acknowledged some social conflicts and relatively high levels of social loafing and off-task behavior during this project, these challenges did not seem to reduce the overall perception of success.

Recent increases in the popularity of contemporary a cappella ensembles, especially at the collegiate level, may provide new opportunities to explore the informal and nonformal musical learning experiences available to 21st-century students. The purpose of this research was to investigate music learning in four student-run collegiate a cappella ensembles through a collective case study. Results indicated that these ensembles exhibited characteristics of nonformal learning, in which the learning environment is highly structured and intentional but institutional influence is reduced The ensembles functioned in a highly democratic manner, and students felt that they had more input and control over their musical experiences than in parallel institution-sponsored ensembles. Members were also able to take on a diverse array of musical roles and to develop musical competencies beyond those used for performance. In contrast, however, members indicated that these ensembles may not provide strong opportunities to develop fundamental vocal skills or musical knowledge. Implications for formal music education programs are discussed.