Music across the waves: an international comparative examination of the Irish generalist and the American specialist models of music education from the teacher’s perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Edmond Gubbins
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Contemporary Literature ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Teacher Interviews ◽  
Teacher Surveys ◽  
American Schools ◽  
International Comparative ◽  
Perceived Experiences ◽  
Teacher's Perspective

Abstract The structure, implementation and operation of music education at the primary level differs depending on the legislation of the education system within which the school operates. An inquiry-based project was completed over a 10-week period, with the overall aim of gaining an understanding of current teacher practice within music education in both Ireland and the United States. This article examines the Irish generalist and the American specialist models of music education from the teacher’s perspective. The overarching question guiding this research was ‘How is music education realised in Irish and American schools at the primary/elementary level?’. The project sought to investigate the specific challenges of both the generalist and specialist models to ascertain if one educational context might inform the other. Teacher surveys, teacher interviews, curriculum artefacts, expert interviews and contemporary literature around the topic were utilised as data sources to assimilate music educators’ perceived experiences of implementing their respective music curricula. Drawing from the data gathered, coded and quantitively and qualitatively analysed, two contrasting vignette-style stories are presented. A brief discussion follows that compares both models, highlighting some of their relative advantages and drawbacks.

scholarly journals Improvisation in Elementary General Music: A Review of the Literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-48
Author(s):  
Michael D. Chandler
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Elementary Level ◽  
Instructional Time ◽  
General Music ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Research Findings

Improvisation is an area of interest to both music education researchers and music educators alike. The purpose of this literature review was to examine extant studies related to improvisation at the elementary level. Selected research included the nature of improvisation, the amount of instructional time and activity type used, the development of improvisation skills with age, and the effect of improvisation on other skill areas. Findings indicated that children chose their own musical and social roles when there was minimal teacher intervention. Most teachers agreed that improvisation was important, although at varying degrees and based on varying levels of experience and ability. Improvisation skills increased with age, particularly when considering rhythmic improvisation and phrase structure, and improvisation was found to increase creativity and divergent thinking while also reducing performance anxiety. Research findings are included from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Malaysia, and the United States. The review concludes with implications for practice and recommendations for further research.

The Kodály Concept in the United States: Early American Adaptations to Recent Evolutions

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Megan M. Sheridan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Music Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Philosophy Of Music ◽  
Zoltan Kodaly ◽  
Early American ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Kodaly Concept

Zoltán Kodály, a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, and music educator, is widely known for his philosophical and pedagogical contributions to music education. The purpose of this article was to trace the development of the Kodály movement in the United States from its implementation in the 1960s to present day. Questions that guided the research were (1) Who was Zoltán Kodály and what was his philosophy of music education? (2) Who were some of the American music educators who initially implemented the Kodály concept in the United States and what role did they play in the spread of the concept? and (3) How has the Kodály concept evolved in the United States? Following an overview of Kodály and his philosophy, the contributions of Mary Helen Richards, Denise Bacon, Lois Choksy, and Sr. Lorna Zemke during the early years of the Kodály movement are discussed. The evolution of the Kodály concept is discussed in relation to the work of Lois Choksy, Ann Eisen and Lamar Robertson, John Feierabend, Susan Brumfield, and Mícheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka. A conclusion includes suggestions for the advancement of the Kodály concept, including the need for research on the methods of the approach.

Unionization and Street-Level Bureaucracy: An Examination of Public School Teachers in the United States

2019 ◽  
pp. 0734371X1989437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Oberfield
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public School Teachers ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Street Level ◽  
Teacher Surveys ◽  
Red Tape ◽  
Street Level Bureaucrats ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Perceived Experiences

Union advocates and critics believe that unionization influences the performance of public organizations by altering organizational climates and street-level bureaucrats’ experiences and perceptions. However, few empirical works examine this expectation. This article contributes by exploring how variation in unionization is associated with street-level bureaucrats’ perceptions of red tape, discretion, leadership, and accountability. Using nationally representative teacher surveys from the United States, it examines how unionization was associated with teachers’ perceptions over a 9-year period. Although there was some evidence that unionization had a negative association with accountability, the article shows that unionization was not a strong, consistent predictor of street-level bureaucrats’ perceived experiences.

Popular music in preservice music education: Preparedness, confidence and implementation

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Hamilton ◽  
Jennifer Vannatta-Hall
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Popular Music ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Classical Music ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Music Teacher ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
K 12

This study examined popular music in preservice music teacher training programmes in the United States. The researchers explored types of courses and programmes offered in undergraduate music education programmes to prepare future music teachers to teach popular music. Quantitative data revealed trends in the inclusion of popular music within undergraduate music education programmes, determined music teacher educators’ perceptions of their students’ attitudes towards using popular music in the general music classroom, and examined the types of popular music pedagogy needed for preservice music educators. Qualitative data ascertained perceived confidence levels of graduates to utilize popular music. Results revealed that western classical music is the focus for the majority of music educators’ undergraduate degree programmes and that often music teacher preparation programmes ignore popular music study. Bridging the gap between western classical and popular music would help prepare teachers to include and value all types of music in K-12 music education.

scholarly journals Teaching general music to young adolescents: Findings from a survey of music teacher perspectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Cronenberg
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Middle Level ◽  
General Music ◽  
Young Adolescents ◽  
The Impact

Middle school general music is an often-overlooked aspect of music education in the United States. Yet at some point, many music educators face a teaching assignment including one or more sections of middle school general music. In this study, I investigated whether the principles that guide music educators in teaching middle school general music align with the middle level concept, articulated in This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents. In addition, I sought to examine the impact of a teacher’s lived experience on these principles. This survey of middle school teachers revealed that while less than 10% of respondents were aware of This We Believe, over 60% regularly use principles aligned with the middle level concept to guide their teaching, with the major exception of diverse assessment techniques. Analysis also revealed that over 80% of respondents are greatly influenced by their teaching experience when making teaching decisions compared to less than a third by their preservice preparation. Implications for this study include the inclusion of the middle level concept in preservice education, the diversification of assessment approaches in middle school general music, and the potential influence of the school community on a teacher’s practice.

Music Education in the Nordic Countries

1987 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Paynter
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Music Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
The Other ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Enormous Amount ◽  
Academic Professions

Possibly because very few teachers in Britain are fluent readers of Scandinavian languages while, on the other hand, the majority in the academic professions in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland speak and read – not infrequently write – English, the flow of thinking about music education and its developments often appears to be one way.Yet although it may be true to say that, over the last twenty years or so, music educators in the Nordic countries have drawn quite a lot of inspiration from beyond their own borders (Finland and Sweden tending to look towards Hungary; Norway, Iceland and Denmark perhaps turning more often to Britain and the United States), it would be a serious error to imagine that they have no significant ideas of their own! Indeed, an enormous amount has been achieved in these countries from which the rest of us can usefully learn.

Is Music Education in Tune With the Pursuit of Equity? An Examination of Access to Music Education in Michigan’s Schools

2021 ◽  
pp. 002242942198996
Author(s):  
Ryan D. Shaw ◽  
Amy Auletto
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Music Teachers ◽  
State Level ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
The State ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Student Access ◽  
American Schools ◽  
Local Detail

Access to music education in American schools is not guaranteed. Although national studies have demonstrated disparities based on poverty, race, and other markers, these studies miss a necessary level of local detail in describing access. Additionally, studies that exist are based on self-report surveys and prone to nonresponse bias. The purpose of this study was to describe access to music education at the state level. Using Michigan administrative data provided by the state department of education, we describe the state’s population of music educators and examine student access to music education. We found that music teachers differed from nonmusic teachers in a number of ways. We also identified substantial and persistent disparities in access to music education across the state. These findings have important implications for school arts education policy.

The state of guitar education in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Pethel
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Traditional Music ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Substantial Body ◽  
Practical Advice ◽  
Service Training ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Guitar Class

Guitar education has emerged as a discipline in K-12 institutions alongside ‘traditional’ music education such as band, orchestra and chorus in recent decades. Despite the substantial body of literature containing practical advice on teaching guitar, research-supported scholarship is lacking. The purpose of this study was to provide an evidentiary-based understanding of the professional profiles of guitar educators. A large sample (n = 1269) of guitar educators participated in the Guitar Educator Questionnaire (GEQ). Findings from the GEQ suggest a low per cent (7.9%) of music educators who teach guitar class consider themselves to be ‘guitar specialists’. A substantial number of respondents (68.5%) indicated that they rarely or never participated in guitar-related professional development, and 76.1% of respondents reported that their pre-service training provided little or no preparation for a career in guitar education.

scholarly journals Music Booster Groups: Alleviating or Exacerbating Funding Inequality in American Public School Music Education?

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Elpus ◽  
Adam Grisé
Keyword(s):  
Public School ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Short Form ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Median Household Income ◽  
School Communities ◽  
Irs Form 990 ◽  
School Music

As fundraising has become a key component of American public school music educators’ professional responsibilities, in many places, parent organizations have taken an increasingly outsized role in raising private funds to supplement public school music budgets. The purpose of this study was to understand the finances of public school music parents’ associations and music booster groups and to understand the relation between the socioeconomic status of school communities and the amount of money raised by their local music booster groups. Using Internal Revenue Service (IRS) fiscal 2015 data for 5,575 music booster groups throughout the United States, we found evidence that, collectively, music booster groups raised at least $215 million in support of public school music education. At least four groups raised over $1,000,000; at least 31 raised over $500,000; and at least 723 raised over $100,000 each. We found that total booster revenues were significantly associated with local median household income. Each additional $1,000 of local median household income was associated with an additional $305 in revenue for booster groups filing IRS Form 990-EZ (“short form”) and with an additional $1,637 in revenue for booster groups filing the full IRS Form 990.

“My voice speaks for itself”: The experiences of three transgender students in American secondary school choral programs

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-146
Author(s):  
Joshua Palkki
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Choral Music ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Music Programs ◽  
School Officials ◽  
Transgender Students ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Choral Programs

With the purpose of furthering lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and allies/agender/asexual (LGBTQA) dialogue in music education and to improve choral instruction for trans(gender) students, this multiple narrative case study explores the experiences of trans students in secondary school choral music programs in the United States. The emergent research design employed narrative and ethnographic techniques to honor and highlight voices of the three participants. The connection or lack thereof between voice and gender identity was different for each student. The policies of the students’ school districts, school officials, choral programs, and state music organizations shaped and influenced the participants as they navigated their trans identity within the high school choral context. Mentors (including teachers) and other “important others” helped these students as they traversed their gender journeys. From this research, it emerges that schools and choral programs can make policy changes to better serve trans youth, and more professional development and incorporation of (trans)gender issues is necessary for choral music educators.

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