Music Education Students Research Articles

Achievement goal orientations of students studying instrument education as predictors of their learning approaches

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the study being reported here set out to examine the achievement goal orientations of students majoring in Music Education as predictors of their learning approaches. Set in Turkey, the study group consisted of music education majors (n = 240) in a variety of higher education settings (n = 5). The study results revealed that the learning approach orientation scores positively predicted the deep motive scores of students studying instrument learning, whereas the performance-avoidance orientation scores negatively predicted the deep motive scores of the same students. In addition, while the learning-approach and learning-avoidance orientation scores positively predicted students’ deep strategy scores, performance-avoidance scores negatively predicted the same scores. Furthermore, the learning approach scores negatively predicted students’ surface motive and surface strategy scores, whereas the performance-avoidance scores positively predicted the same scores. The study results showed that vocational music education students’ achievement goal orientations mediate the explanation of their learning approaches (surface or deep). In line with these results, it can be considered that the positive changes that can be achieved in the direction of achievement goal orientation of university music students will have a positive effect on their approaches in instrument learning.

On the integration of methodological principles of vocal schools in the practice of foreign vocal art teachers within the system of China’s higher music education

The goal of this article consists in determination of the relevant problems in preparation of students majoring academic solo singing in the Institute of Art of Jinggangshan University in groups of the educators representing vocal schools of Russia. The article examines the key aspects of the problems of Chinese vocal education in the context of European representation on the fundamentals of vocal skills. The study is dedicated to comparison of academic programs in the two leading universities of Russia and China, as well as detailed analysis of the curricula. The curriculum of Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia focuses on the development of general cultural and professional vocal cycle, while Jinggangshan University focuses on upbringing an ideologically faithful citizen of the People’s Republic of China. The conclusion is made that despite the major impact of PRC’s leader Mao Zedong upon the music and vocal education, as well as vocal-methodological conference held in Beijing in 1957, the development of the vocal-pedagogical process has stagnated. The educators and students of music education in PRC should pursue the following objectives: openness to the new as a condition for cultural development; balance between the national spiritual values and professional competences; fulfillment of the role of cultural dialogue as a way of existence of art in the modern Communist China; preservation and continuous improvement of the system of music and arts education.

Motivational Factors and Gender Differences in the Successful Completion of Music Education Doctoral Programs: A Pilot Study

What accounts for the success or failure of music education doctoral students regarding the completion of their degrees? Though students continue to enter doctoral programs, high attrition rates indicate many are not completing their degrees, including PhD students in music education. Perhaps those who complete this high level of academic achievement are more highly motivated than those who do not. An investigation of the differences between genders regarding motivation and length of time for degree completion is the focus of this study and seeks to answer the following: What effect does motivation have on music education doctoral students in the completion of their degrees? Are there motivational differences between male and female music education doctoral students concerning the completion of their degrees? Is there a difference in the amount of time it takes for female music education doctoral students to complete their degrees as compared to male students? Relating factors of motivation to achievement, the Expectancy-Value Theory of Achievement Motivation is the framework used in this study. A questionnaire was used in this quantitative pilot study of former music education doctoral students (n=12) at universities in Ohio who obtained their PhDs within the last 15 years. Results indicate no significant difference between genders regarding the length of time for degree completion, though differences were found in motivational factors for starting and continuing in music education doctoral programs until completion. Limitations, implications, and recommendations for future research are suggested.

Mind mapping tool increased critical thinking through blended learning

Background: The process of learning creates interaction and coordination and finding solution. Students who are engaged in that process will find themselves useful as they have shared ideas. Sharing ideas is a significant part.
 Aims and Objective: This study aims to describe the application of mind mapping in music learning as an effort to increase students' critical thinking. It has not been commonly applied in practical music learning processes.
 Materials and Methods: This research was conducted with a total of 75 students of music education who took violin subject. Initially, they discussed the issue that related with a song, and it was followed by mind mapping to find the ideas.
 Results: Through this process, students are expected to get a comprehensive understanding, and obtain effectively relevant guidelines regarding the material that must be trained.
 Conclusion: Exceedingly students can generate critical thinking, which later give influence in song interpretation.

The Effect of Music Teacher Education on Musical Taste of Music Majors

In this study, it was aimed to determine the level of change of music education students' musical taste after they have received four years of music education given within the scope of the Music Education Undergraduate Program. To achieve this purpose, a cross-sectional survey was employed. Therefore, 12 pieces were selected to represent each category of Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th-century music, and the first, second, third, and fourth-year students were asked to score the pieces out of 7 according to their musical taste. The results show a linear trend decreasing from Baroque to 20th-century music. However, the year of education of the students does not have a significant effect on their musical taste.

Nontraditional Students in Traditional Music Education Programs: A Case Study

Abstract Today’s university students and, by extension, music education students do not always fit the set of characteristics typically displayed by undergraduate students, differing in at least one, if not several, key areas. Often described via the blanket term “nontraditional students” (NTS), this diverse group represents a growing component of the overall population of preservice teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the experience of 5 NTS enrolled in music teacher preparation programs at two different public universities, one located on the West Coast and the other on the East Coast of the United States. Research questions included: (a) What factors motivate NTS to enter traditional preservice music teacher education programs? and (b) How do NTS describe their experiences within traditional undergraduate music education programs? The findings are consistent with past research indicating that the experiences of NTS are different from those of traditional-age undergraduate music education students and that NTS may bring additional assets, such as a depth of prior work/life experience, greater self-confidence, and an enhanced motivation to learn.

Disrupting the status quo: Educating pre-service music teachers through culturally relevant pedagogy

Abstract Scholars theorizing in the area of social justice and music education argue that music has the potential to prepare students to engage in a society that cultivates personal freedom and democratic participation. The continued reliance on values and practices of Western art music within music teacher education has resulted in a disconnect between this discourse and professional practice. The status quo perpetuates conditions that limit accessibility, privilege western art music and maintain whiteness as ‘normal’. In this article, I suggest that this disconnection can be addressed by introducing culturally relevant pedagogy within music education training programmes. Culturally relevant pedagogy, focusing on reflexive practice and place-based education, requires pre-service music educators to think deeply about experiences of marginalized music education students and critically examine the values and beliefs they hold. Embedding the values of culturally relevant pedagogy within music education training creates space for music from different cultural contexts including popular music.

Developing Music Education Policy Wonks: Preservice Music Education and Policy

The typical undergraduate music education student is focused on developing their musicianship and leadership abilities, professional education competencies, and specific pedagogical expertise. While these are desirable outcomes of a music education degree, music teachers must learn how to effectively interact with a range of policies that will influence how they navigate their professional and private lives. The purpose of this article is to outline and explore mechanisms to engage preservice teachers with educational policies and policy-related practices. We discuss resources for learning about federal and state policies related to education and music education and strategies for interfacing with policymakers. We suggest models that integrate policy topics into existing coursework and new curricular structures that may facilitate the development of “scholar-musicians.” Implications of music teacher educators bringing their role as politically active citizens into the classroom and adding political knowledge to the expectations placed on new teachers are considered.

Becoming a music teacher: Korean music student teachers’ perceptions of their student teaching experience

ABSTRACTStudent teaching is the culminating field experience in a teacher preparation programme. The purpose of the study was to explore Korean music student teachers’ perceptions of their student teaching experience. To collect data for this study, in-depth interviews, observation, and documents were used. The results of this study showed that during student teaching, participants had authentic teaching experiences, but needed closer collaboration between the university and the teaching context. Korean music student teachers also felt that a community of student teachers helped them grow as professional music teachers; hence student teacher peers may be another important resource for successful student teaching. Finally, they focused on reflective teaching, but specific ideas and strategies to improve their teaching skills were rather vague. Suggestions for future research on music student teaching are provided.

Exploring Access, Intersectionality, and Privilege in Undergraduate Music Education Courses

Music teacher educators often work to prepare preservice music teachers to be socially conscious and adopt dispositions toward teaching in socially just ways. Preservice teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and dispositions toward social justice issues may not be sufficiently challenged, however, unless coursework is appropriately conceived. I designed a three-part workshop to introduce and explore the concepts of access, intersectionality, and privilege, and then conducted a basic qualitative study to examine undergraduate music education students’ understandings of and attitudes toward sensitive social justice issues, as well as their experiences with the workshop. I found that exploring sociological concepts related to social justice through interactive activities and allowing students safe methods for expressing themselves, such as journaling, may facilitate the adoption of positive dispositions among preservice teachers toward toward social justice issues.

Community Engagement in Music Education: Preservice Music Teachers’ Perceptions of an Urban Service-Learning Initiative

To facilitate cultural competency among preservice music teachers, music teacher educators must create ongoing opportunities for discourse and situated learning. The purpose of this collective case study was to examine four preservice music teachers’ experiences in the Arranger-in-Residence Program (AIRP)—a community engagement project emphasizing service-learning and placed within a socioeconomically diverse urban school district. Research questions included (1) How did the participants describe their experiences in the AIRP? and (2) What challenges, if any, did the participants experience during the service-learning initiative. The AIRP involved music education students enrolled in an undergraduate-level orchestration course. Overwhelmingly, the participants’ experiences with the AIRP were considered positive and signaled unique opportunities for personal growth as novice teachers. Each of the participants described moments where they acknowledged and confronted their implicit biases.

Music Student Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Seminar Experience: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of this study was to examine music student teachers’ (MST) perceptions of their student teaching seminar. MSTs immersed in their P -12 placements and the accompanying seminar at three state universities in the Midwest served as focus group participants. Through analysis of focus group interviews and course documents, we focused on MSTs’ perceptions of seminar purpose, structure, content, and assessment methods. Overwhelmingly, MSTs perceived the seminar as a professional learning community and a “safe place,” and they appeared to prefer frequent seminar meetings. While some MSTs felt more time per seminar was needed, others expressed difficulty in focusing after a full day of teaching. High-stakes teacher performance and portfolio assessments were a major focus of seminar content. We recommend incorporating activities into the seminar that support continued pedagogical growth and socialization into the profession.

The Shelter Band: Homelessness, social support and self-esteem in a community music partnership

The transition from homelessness into mainstream society involves external factors, such as obtaining housing and employment. Research also indicates that social support and perceptions of self-efficacy are important psychological factors in escaping homelessness. Music interventions, such as participation in performing ensembles, have been shown to aid in the development of social skills among marginalized populations and improve participants’ psychological well-being. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a music intervention on perceptions of social support and self-esteem among individuals experiencing homelessness. Members of The Shelter Band included residents at a large emergency homeless shelter in the Southeast United States, shelter staff and university music education students. The band rehearsed a variety of rock songs weekly and performed regularly for civic events. Researchers investigated the effects of band participation on perceptions of social support and self-efficacy using a mixed-method approach. Qualitative data were obtained over a three-year period through interviews with band members, shelter staff and the participant researchers. These data were transcribed and analysed for themes according to a priori and in vivo codes by the participant researchers. Social support and self-esteem were also specifically investigated by comparing differences in responses to the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) between band members and non-member shelter residents. Qualitative data indicated that participants in The Shelter Band demonstrated improved perceptions of social support and self-esteem. In a few cases, participation in the band was identified as a key factor in individuals escaping decades-long chronic homelessness. Other themes emerged from participants, including reduced recidivism and improved case management. Quantitative data of perceptions of social support and self-esteem between Shelter Band members and non-member residents of The Shelter revealed no statistically significant results. As music educators continue to explore opportunities for their work, it is useful to consider collaborations with community partners. By involving shelter staff in The Shelter Band, staff and music educators were able to direct the intervention towards individuals’ needs. These collaborations can be beneficial for both the university and community partners. In addition, possibilities for this kind of socially responsive pedagogy in music teacher training are discussed.

Measuring pre-service music teachers’ creative identities: a cross-cultural comparison of the United States and Singapore

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine and compare the creative musical identities of pre-service music education students in the United States and Singapore. The Creative Identity in Music (CIM) measure was utilized with both US and Singapore pre-service music teacher populations (n = 274). Items of the CIM relate to music-making activities often associated with creativity in music education in the literature, including composition, improvisation and popular music performance. Results suggest, similar to findings of previous research, that while both populations are similar in their degree of creative music-making self-efficacy and are similarly willing to allow for creativity in the classroom, Singaporean pre-service music teachers value the areas of creative identity and the use of popular music listening/performing within the learning environment to a significantly greater extent (p < 0.0001) than their US counterparts.

Teaching Ambition Realized: Paul’s Beginning Music Teacher Identity

The purpose of this particularistic case study was to explore Paul’s teacher identity in his first year as a music educator. I chose Paul purposively because, while a high school senior, he had participated in previous research about teacher socialization. Using Olsen’s sociocultural view of teacher identity as a lens, I examined Paul’s teacher identity including personal beliefs about teaching, how those interacted with professional learning and teacher education experiences, and how Paul made sense of himself as a teacher. Through data analysis I revealed three themes: Becoming Student Focused, Learning to Be Myself as a Teacher, and Taking Ownership. I recommend making preservice and cooperating music teachers more aware of teacher identity models and suggest activities to promote teacher identity development in music teacher education programs. Music teacher educators would benefit from having more teacher identity scholarship focused on music student teachers and beginning music educators.

Implementing a Co-Teaching Model in Music Student Teaching: A Literature Review

The purpose of this literature review is to examine music education research concerning the emerging practice of co-teaching between cooperating music teachers and student teachers, and to understand the benefits of co-teaching for both. The review is organized into two sections: (a) how cooperating music teachers and student teachers view their co-teaching experiences and (b) how cooperating music teachers mentor student teachers in a co-teaching model. Co-teaching during student teaching can occur successfully through cooperating teachers’ willingness to facilitate the co-teaching process, student teachers’ reflective practice with cooperating teachers and careful sequencing in teaching opportunities, and co-teachers’ engagement in daily communication activities. Music education researchers should continue to examine various topics related to implementing a co-teaching model in student teaching. This article will provide current P–12 music teachers with successful co-teaching examples and suggestions for applications in music classrooms.

Graduate student identity: Negotiating the academic and creative through resistance or conformity

Identity is not restricted to a single facet of one’s personality; a person’s identity represents the entirety of who they are and the meanings they provide themselves as it relates to society. In other words, ‘[p]eople possess multiple identities’. Therefore, identity theorists explore the various roles that people provide themselves and what each of their identities means. As doctoral art/music education students – as it relates to this article – we are most concerned with the ways in which graduate students navigate the duality of their creative and academic identity while conforming to or resisting institutional expectations. The purpose of this study is to understand how Ph.D. art and music education students negotiate their academic and creative identities to resist or conform to expectations within the context of academic norms. This study sought to answer the following research question: to what extent are professional graduate arts education students navigating dual, overlapping creative and academic identities?

The use of technology in music education in North Cyprus according to student music teachers

Today, the rapid changes and developments in information and communication technologies affect all sectors, which includes a positive impact in the field of education. For this reason, it is important that teachers make effective use of technologies and keep up with innovation to meet the needs of the new generation. This research focuses on describing technology use in music education at a university in North Cyprus, according to 18 student music teachers, to highlight the extent to which technology has been integrated into music education, making recommendations for further integration. This mixed-methods study employed a questionnaire containing closed-ended questions, which were analysed quantitatively, as well as open-ended questions, which were analysed based on content analysis. Results underline the importance of curriculum updates to integrate information and communication technology into student music teacher training and the need for in-service training to keep established teachers up-to-date with innovative technologies. Future research is recommended to compare music education practices cross-culturally and to identify ways of maximising the benefits of innovations in technology for music educators. Keywords: information-communication technology (ICT); music technology; social media; student music teacher

Outcomes of a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) for Music Therapy and Music Education Students.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) involve entire classes of students researching a question or problem that is of interest to the scholarly community with an unknown outcome to both students and instructor. The purpose of this pre-experimental one-group posttest design study was to explore outcomes of a CURE for music therapy and music education students enrolled in a music psychology course. Specifically, we examined differences in scientific thinking, personal gains, research skills, and attitudes and behaviors of students resulting from their participation in a CURE experience, as well as students' perceived benefits of a CURE experience. Student participants (N = 30) completed the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment. Likert-type items from the self-assessment were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended questions analyzed for common themes using content analysis. Students reported moderate gains across three areas (i.e., thinking and working like a scientist, personal gains, and research skills), with greatest gains reported for thinking and working like a scientist. Students reported limited change for changes in attitudes and behaviors as a researcher. The authors discuss implications and recommendations for future CUREs.

Popularization of Music Education on the Example of Musical and Theatrical Project Dirty Dancing

The paper deals with reflections on the reasons to the decreased interest of students in formal music education, and opportunities to improve music education system in terms of its popularization. Learning period students spend in order to musically develop and educate themselves should not be a burden, but enjoyment, and flexibility of curriculum in music schools should deliver it. One way of enriching music education could be by including students in various projects, which can be achieved through cooperation with artists outside the home institution, whether amateurs or professionals, but also to connect with similar arts, if the project requires it. In addition to the learning process, it is important to think of the other, no less important, educational component, that would encourage students to think further and, if they continue with education, how to become a performer on stage, and thus have the opportunity to travel, to collaborate with other artists and make new friends. As an example of a successful cooperation on the international level we are presenting a musical and theatrical project Dirty Dancing, which got together a large number of amateur and professional artists, whose teamwork led to the successful live performance and project realization.