Authentic-Context Learning Activities in Instrumental Music Teacher Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the frequency of particular authentic-context learning (ACL) activities during undergraduate instrumental music teacher training and the initial teaching performance (ITP) of undergraduate instrumental music student teachers. Subjects (N = 30) were instrumental music student teachers at four major universities. Four ACL activities, identified from the literature and limited to instrumental music settings, included (a) early field experience teaching episodes, (b) peer-teaching episodes, (c) episodes of subjects watching videotapes of their teaching, and (d) episodes of subjects watching videotapes of their teaching with a coaching instructor. ITP was determined by evaluating teaching episodes, which occurred within the first 3 weeks of student teaching, using the Survey of Teaching Effectiveness (Hamann & Baker, 1996). Significant correlations were found between ITP and three of the four ACL activities. In addition, an overall ACL experience value was calculated and categorized into high, medium, and low levels. Those with a high level of ACL experiences were significantly better teachers than those with medium or low levels of ACL experiences.

Undergraduate Conductors’ and Conducting Teachers’ Perceptions of Basic Conducting Efficacy

“…Similar results were found for the correlation of ACL activities on teacher effectiveness in undergraduate instrumental music student teachers (Haston & Russell, 2012;Paul et al, 2001). Conducting teachers may want to consider providing beginning conducting students with multiple opportunities to apply their skills in front of a live ensemble, but not just during class meetings.…”

The Effect of Teacher Role Development Training on Undergraduate Music Education Majors: A Preliminary Study

“…Perhaps instruction provided during the initial three semesters of one's degree program may offer the foundation needed to sustain an effect. Similar to the results of Paul et al (2001), perhaps there are a critical number of experiences beyond which music teacher role development becomes self-sustaining. Additionally, it is important to consider that students reaching upper division coursework do not include those who had previously self-selected out of the program.…”

“…It is possible instructional skills developed in the teacher role development training course were sufficiently mitigated by the passage of time to bring members of Group 2 on par with members of Group 1 by the time the present study was conducted. Paul et al (2001) found those with a greater number of peer teaching experiences, field teaching experiences, and reflections on those experiences scored higher on initial teaching performance than did those with fewer such experiences. Perhaps the number of peer teaching experiences and reflections on those experiences provided in the role development training course was not sufficient to affect initial teaching performance.…”

“…He also concluded that a peer teaching laboratory with reflective feedback is an effective setting for undergraduate teacher training in music. Similarly, Paul et al (2001) found early field teaching experience, peer teaching experience, and self-reflection on videos of such teaching to be positively correlated with teaching effectiveness. Furthermore, those with a greater number of such experiences were found to score higher on initial teaching performance than did those with fewer such experiences.…”

Multiple Constituent Mentoring: A Policy for Capitalizing on Authentic Learning Contexts in University Curricula

“…Given the increased volume of published research on mentoring, teacher identity, preservice teaching experience, and authentic learning contexts (Austin, Isbell, and Russell 2012;Berg 2010;Bouij 1998;Haston and Hourigan 2007;Haston and Russell 2012;Kruse 2011;Paul et al 2001;Robbins 1993;Thompson and Campbell 2010;Woodford 2002), it seems appropriate to outline the details of a comprehensive policy of music education training for multiple music education constituents. The long-standing de facto segregation of constituents by teaching level is outdated and counterproductive, regardless of role.…”