Preparing Middle School Music Teachers to Teach Jazz

Abstract

This mixed-methods study combined qualitative and quantitative data to identify middle school music teachers who perceive themselves as highly effective jazz teachers and to uncover the experiences that have best prepared them to teach middle school jazz. Quantitative data suggested that (a) playing in college jazz ensembles, (b) taking a college jazz pedagogy course, (c) mentorship in jazz, and (d) taking a college improvisation course all significantly correlate with one’s perceived ability to teach middle school jazz. However, both qualitative and quantitative data indicated that listening to jazz and playing as a professional jazz musician are among the most closely associated experiences to perceived ability, suggesting that the college jazz experience, although important, may not be the most important way of preparing future middle school jazz educators.