Inside and Outside the Undergraduate Music Education Curriculum

Abstract

This study examined the perceived requisite skills and understandings needed for a successful student teaching experience. Six instrumental music student teachers served as participants. Findings included that students perceived curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular music teaching and non- music teaching experiences to be valuable prior to student teaching. Valuable curricular and co-curricular (e.g. fieldwork) skills included: (a) administrative skills; (b) classroom management skills; (c) musicianship skills; and (d) content and pedagogical knowledge. The participants reported that not only did they acquire these skills from coursework, applied lessons, and ensemble participation, but also experiences outside of their curricular requirements (e.g., skills relating to work ethic, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills). The researchers compared these results to the forms of Ethical and Intellectual Development (Perry, 1968/1999) and determined that preservice music teachers' perceptions of the importance of acquired skills prior to student teaching may depend on their intellectual development.

Perceptions of Course Value and Issues of Specialization in Undergraduate Music Teacher Education Curricula

“…Two of those courses were substantially practice teaching: early field experiences and student teaching. These findings support the findings of Brophy (2002), Conway (2002), Hourigan andScheib (2009), Legette (2013), and Taylor (1970) that student teaching and preservice field work were most valuable. The other two centered on theory fundamentals (music theory and aural theory): Ensemble directors use aural skills during rehearsals, and written theory serves as the conceptual framework for a large amount of the music played in ensembles.…”

“…The other two highrated courses were rated lower by elementary music educators since these skills play a less prominent role in their daily activities than ensemble directors: ensembles and conducting. This finding also supports the findings of Conway (2002) and Hourigan and Scheib (2009) that ensembles and applied lessons were of great value to music educators.…”

“…These courses were among those with the highest standard deviations and included techniques classes for woodwind, brass, percussion, and piano and methods classes for choral, instrumental, secondary general, and elementary general programs. As shown in the research by Brophy (2002) and Hourigan and Scheib (2009), participants rated courses relevant to their own specialization significantly higher than participants outside their specialization. The only course in this middle range that was rated similarly by most specializations was music history.…”

“Give Me a Break—English Is Not My First Language!”

“…Researchers into student teaching have identified skills and knowledge as highly important (Hourigan & Scheib, 2009). As fluent speakers of languages other than English, these participants bring a vast, specialized knowledge to their teaching.…”

Teachers as Learners by Sharon Feiman-Nemser

“…Hourigan and Scheib (2009) found that many of the informal types of preparation experienced by preservice students on their own time (e.g., working band camps in the summer) were powerful for their participants. More recently, Miksza and Berg (2013) provided an overview of theoretical frameworks in music teacher education used to explain teacher growth along this continuum.…”