Despite the urgent need to provide kindergarten teachers with professional development (PD) in music and movement, little is known about their needs, motivations, and preferences in this area. This interview study explores Hong Kong kindergarten teachers’ prior music and movement educational experiences and their self-perceived usefulness of such experiences, their needs and motivations to participate in further music and movement PD, and their preferences regarding PD facilitators, times, and learning activities. Evidence reveals that participants felt unprepared to enact the local music and movement curriculum guidelines, perceiving their prior educational experiences to be of low quality. Teachers showed high levels of need and motivation to participate in music and movement PD, showing preferences for initiatives facilitated by expert kindergarten teachers and musicians/performers, conducted during working hours or online, and involving classroom-based and content-focused activities. Findings raise awareness about the importance of providing kindergarten teachers with responsive music and movement PD.

Few large-scale studies have examined how prepared early childhood educators feel to teach music and movement to young children. This paper is part of a survey study conducted with 1,019 Hong Kong kindergarten teachers. We investigated their prior music and movement educational experiences (extracurricular activities, pre-service courses, in-service professional development), their perceived usefulness of such experiences, as well as their perceived confidence and readiness to teach music and movement in kindergartens. Differences according to teaching experience and educational qualifications were analyzed. Findings reveal the need to strengthen teachers’ preparation in music and movement, especially among beginning educators. Limitations are discussed.

In Hong Kong, the Education Bureau (EDB) assesses the quality of services provided to children in local kindergartens. Quality Review (QR) reports of kindergartens that pass the assessment are published on EDB’s website. We conducted a content analysis of 164 QR reports to examine the alignment between the music activities alluded to and the curriculum objectives established for music in official policies. A coding scheme was developed using both inductive and deductive approaches. High inter-reliability was obtained. MAXQDA was used to conduct word frequency, descriptive, and co-occurrence analyses. The most common terms identified in the music-related segments focused on children’s development of sensory abilities through music experiences, in relation to singing, rhythm, beat, movement, and instrumental music. However, activities intended to foster musical creativity and self-expression were seldom mentioned. We conclude that the QR reports reveal important discrepancies between official curriculum policies and actual classroom practices, which EDB assessors seemed to ignore or overlook. Implications focus on the need for kindergarten stakeholders to address curriculum/practice gaps and further prepare teachers to foster children’s musical creativity.

The purpose of this study was to investigate Hong Kong preschool teachers’ music-specific professional development (PD) preferences and analyze the potential differences among teachers with varying levels of teaching experience (beginning, experienced, and advanced). A survey was developed to assess four music-specific PD preferences: content, facilitators, types, and activities/resources. We found that respondents ( N = 1,019) preferred PD that was centered on musical creativity and curriculum integration; facilitated by experts in pedagogy and music performance; conducted as short workshops and mentoring sessions; and focused on observation, skill acquisition, and practice. The data also revealed significant differences between beginning, experienced, and advanced teachers and their PD preferences. Beginning teachers showed a higher preference for graduate studies and blended PD. Beginning and experienced teachers were more interested in playing instruments and in learning by observing other teachers. Advanced teachers showed preference for PD focusing on dance and music appreciation. The study shows that teaching experience is a crucial factor for determining preschool teachers’ music-specific PD preferences. Implications include considering teachers’ interests, motivations, and needs while planning and designing PD for preschool teachers. Further research should explore what teachers with different profiles require in specific educational settings.