Music Education Competencies of Preschool Teachers and Preservice Preschool Teachers

Abstract

In this study, which attempts to reveal preschool teachers’ and preservice preschool teachers’ musical competence to teach music in preschool education, both quantitative and qualitative methods were performed. In the quantitative part, a descriptive study was used. The sample of the research included preschool teachers (N = 20) working in preschool institutions of a province in the Central Anatolia Region and junior and senior preservice preschool teachers (N = 84) attending Education Faculty of a state university located in this province and taking the Music Education I and II courses during 2018-2019 academic year. As a data collection instrument, a 15- item questionnaire developed by the researchers and consisting of items about music self-efficacy and the effectiveness of the music education I and II courses they took in the 3rd grade was used to reveal the music competence of preschool teachers and preservice preschool teachers. In the analysis of the data, besides frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean calculations, the chi-square test was used to determine the relationship between variables and questionnaire items. In the qualitative dimension, the data of the preschool teachers (N = 9) and preservice preschool teachers (N = 19), who were chosen from the same sample based on the basis of voluntarism, on their preschool music education competencies were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through Maxqda 11 program using content analysis. In general, the findings revealed that both the preschool teachers and preservice preschool teachers have minimal skills or training in teaching music to preschoolers.