Doctoral Students in Music Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine music education doctoral students' shifting occupational identity beliefs, career intent and commitment, and overall confidence for teaching in higher education. A total of 124 music education doctoral students, enrolled at 29 institutions of higher education in the United States, completed a onetime, 29-item online questionnaire. Participants identified more strongly as music teacher educators than as K-12 music teachers, and they were more committed to pursuing a career in higher education than K-12 teaching on completing their degree. However, participants who taught K-12 music concurrently during the degree were more likely to consider returning to K-12 teaching on degree completion. Music education doctoral students demonstrated confidence in their ability to train future K-12 music educators but lacked confidence in their ability to achieve a high-quality life balance in higher education. Implications for music education doctoral programs are discussed.

Impostor Phenomenon Responses of Early Career Music Education Faculty

“…Several authors have lamented, however, that many recipients of the doctorate in music education do not publish a study based on their dissertation, do not continue to conduct and publish research after graduation, and are not prepared adequately or feel unprepared to do so (Humphreys, 2006; Pellegrino, Sweet, Kastner, Russell, & Reese, 2014; Sims, 2016; Sims & Cassidy, 2015). Although Martin (2016) found that the means for the music education doctoral student participants in her study placed them within her “very confident” category as K–12 teacher educators, their mean responses were only within her “confident” category in their abilities to contribute original research or train and mentor graduate students.…”

“…It is not surprising that the participants’ scores indicated the lowest levels of IP feelings for undergraduate teaching. Undergraduate teaching often gets practiced in graduate school, where many doctoral candidates hold graduate teaching assistantships, and music education doctoral students have been found to be “confident in their ability to effectively train and mentor future K–12 music teachers” (Martin, 2016, p. 21). Doctoral students rarely gain substantial and consistent experience teaching graduate coursework, given credential constraints and requirements of graduate faculty status at most universities (Conway et al, 2016; Kelly & VanWeelden, 2016).…”

“…Given concerns expressed by the participants and authors of the music education literature described, we were interested in examining IP with respect to the primary responsibilities of music education faculty positions (Bond & Koops, 2014; Conway et al, 2016; Martin, 2016; Pellegrino et al, 2014). We were interested in whether IP could explain some of the feelings of anxiety about teaching and research that participants in those studies expressed or provide an explanation for why some music education faculty do not continue to undertake and publish research after completing the doctorate (Sims, 2016; Sims & Cassidy, 2016).…”

“…Given the complexity of the job of music teacher educator, the transition from doctoral student to music education faculty member is likely to present a variety of challenges and may even be considered a struggle for some (Martin, 2016). A growing body of literature in music education has begun to address related issues, including the development of identity (Bond & Koops, 2014; Conway, Eros, Pellegrino, & West, 2010), socialization into teaching (Conkling & Henry, 2008), learning to teach graduate students (Conway et al, 2016), peer mentoring (Draves & Koops, 2011), and the role of a professional development community (Pellegrino et al, 2014).…”

Cultivating Teachers of General Music Methods: The Graduate Years

“…At first glance, the transition from teacher to teacher educator may appear natural or a “small shift of occupation” (Murray, 2005, p. 69); however, it may actually be considered a major career change (Martin, 2016). Researchers investigating the transition to teacher educator have described this time as one of uncertainty and anxiety (Dinkelman, Margolis, & Sikkenga, 2006; Murray & Male, 2005).…”