Why (not) be a music teacher? Exploring pre-service music teachers’ sources of concern regarding their future profession

Abstract

There is a global shortage of music teachers, and this deficit is continually growing. While there is a considerable body of research on the sources of concern, attrition, stress and burnout for practising teachers, studies investigating the perspective of pre-service music teachers instead are comparatively rarer. This gap in the literature is problematic, considering its relevance to the development of teacher education programmes and the prevention of discouragement and unrealistic expectations among teachers-to-be. Based on the case of pre-service music teachers from a Swedish university, this research investigates the challenging aspects of the profession through qualitative means. While the results cannot be directly extrapolated to other contexts, the insights gained in this case study expand the theoretical knowledge in the field by identifying seven main categories as sources of concern, of which the aspects that are typically inherent to the profession were dominant (e.g. assessing students, teaching groups of students, etc.). Moreover, the findings reveal differences among the views of pre-service and in-service music teachers that may influence career development. Finally, I provide implications to prevent discouragement among pre-service music teachers based on the results of the case under study.

Why did you (not) choose your main musical instrument? Exploring the motivation behind the choice

“…This paucity notwithstanding, we found some interesting insights into this topic from Nordic studies in other areas, such as community music and pre-service teachers’ concerns. For example, the participants of a sample similar to ours did not express any concern about their choice of main instrument, with one exception: singing in relation to classical music, which was seen as an “instrument” that is “almost non-existent in today’s society” (Mateos-Moreno, 2022). In addition, instruments seen as more suited for accompanying dance (e.g., violin and guitar) may be prioritised within community music contexts in Sweden (Söderman & Westvall, 2017).…”

Envisioning Future Elementary School Teachers’ Practices in The Post-Pandemic Era: A Visual Narrative Inquiry

“…The dilemmatic condition of teachers' appreciation is not an uncommon discourse. For example, a recent study conducted by previous study state teacher candidates revolved around employment conditions and appreciation, such as low income compared to other professions (Mateos-Moreno, 2022) in the Swedish pre-service teacher education context revealed that the biggest concern expressed by Sw. Even in a developed country like Sweden, the extrinsic aspects (e.g., working contexts) were still reported as the major concerns for teacher candidates.…”

“…By looking ahead to the future projections of themselves as a future teacher, they can be nurtured in becoming the desired teachers they wish to become in the future (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2010;Dinham et al, 2017). The inevitable concerns possessed by teacher candidates should be identified and discussed thoroughly by teacher educators in order to maintain their wellbeing and prevent teacher attrition and burnout (Blackley et al, 2018;Mateos-Moreno, 2022). It is essential to explore whether the 'new normal' practices of teaching influence the way teacher candidates project their future practices and selves.…”

What is attractive about becoming a music teacher? Exploring the motivations of pre-service music teachers towards the profession

“…Case studies allow an in-depth exploration of the complexity and uniqueness of a particular topic from multiple perspectives in a real-life context (Simons, 2014). The chosen case is particularly compelling for exploring this topic due to its prestige within the Nordic countries and the substantial emphasis on teaching practices integrated into its music education program since the first year; thereby enabling students to develop particularly well-informed beliefs about the profession (Mateos-Moreno, 2022b).…”