An Investigation of Preservice Music Teacher Development and Concerns

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status and development of juniorlevel preservice music teachers' concerns using Fuller and Bown's teacher concerns model. Participants were 11 junior-level instrumental practicum students from a large American university. Data sources included a goals essay, lesson plans, teaching DVDs, self-evaluations of teaching, and a reflection on the original goals essay. Data were coded according to Fuller and Bown's concerns categories (i.e., self, task, student impact). Analyses indicated that participants had a variety of concerns within each concern category specific to music education. Overall, there was an emphasis on task concerns, as participants appeared to be more concerned with pedagogical execution than with their personal characteristics or student impact. Rapport, content knowledge, and motivation were the most frequently coded self, task, and student impact concerns, respectively. Comparisons were also drawn between (a) written assignments to determine whether participants' concerns changed in quantity or quality during the semester and (b) concerns identified in written assignments and concerns observed while teaching. Teaching DVDs were also analyzed for pivotal events contributing to the development of concerns. Four cases are presented representing varied developmental profiles that both support and challenge Fuller and Bown's model.

Motivations and Concerns: Voices from Pre-service Language Teachers

“…Yet, the participants' concerns in our sample did not remain constant. This finding shows congruence with that of Berg and Miksza (2010) who suggested pre-service teachers' concerns do not change in a linear fashion.…”

“…Similarly, Conway and Clark (2003) observed a transition from self-concerns to impact concerns. However, findings of some other research did not support the existence of change in pre-service teachers' concerns (Weinstein, 1990 as cited in Berg & Miksza, 2010). These contradictory findings call for more studies to understand the development of pre-service teachers' concerns.…”

A Longitudinal Study of Preservice Music Teacher Development

“…Secondary data sources used for triangulation (Stake, 1995) included a midterm growth plan completed by the student teacher, teaching observation reports completed by a university supervisor, and accompanying lesson plans. Participants' concerns expressed through goals essays from a previous study (Berg & Miksza, 2010) also were used for individual case study analyses.…”

“…Furthermore, a clearer understanding of how a music teacher's thinking develops over time ultimately can inform approaches to teacher preparation and professional development. Fuller and Bown's (1975) teacher-concerns model has been employed in general education (Burn, Hagger, Mutton, & Everton, 2003;Calderhead & Robson, 1991;Kagan, 1992;Pigge & Marso, 1989) and music education (Bennett, 1982;Berg & Miksza, 2010;Broyles, 1997;Coleman, 1999;Drafall, 1991) research to conceptualize teacher development. This model rests on an assumption that teacher education programs could be improved if they were designed to meet preservice teachers' needs according to a trajectory of professional development.…”

“…Most studies have been conducted on the basis of a single practicum experience or a semester-long student teaching experience (e.g., Berg & Miksza, 2010;Burn et al, 2000;Weinstein, 1990). Given that the concerns of preservice teachers may shift in subtle ways (Ralph, 1993), it is important that data are collected over a long enough period of time in order to examine what could be longitudinal changes in mindset.…”