Music education and distance learning during COVID-19: a survey

Abstract

In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic moved American schools to a distance learning modality for the duration of the school year. In an effort to document, examine, and learn from the various “stages” of this pandemic, the purpose of this paper was to describe the spring 2020 move to distance learning and how the policies put in place affected music educators. We focus on describing district/school policies, teacher response, and stakeholder perceptions of success and associated challenges. The study employed a survey of a broad sample of music educators (N = 1,368), which featured questions on music education-related policies during the spring 2020 distance learning period. Findings suggested a variety of policies were in place governing instructional modality, frequency of instruction, and teacher-student contact. Disparities especially existed between elementary and secondary music educators, with elementary teachers discussing greater frustration at their relative prioritization within the distance learning setup. The findings have important implications for policymakers and music educators.