Stereotypically gay- and straight-sounding auditory cues change adolescent music students’ perceptions of men’s teaching effectiveness

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a stereotypically gay-sounding voice on middle- and high-schooler’s perceptions of teaching effectiveness. Participants ( N = 273) listened to two men with stereotypically gay and straight voices, respectively, reading a short paragraph. Afterwards, they rated the likelihood of each speaker’s ability to demonstrate top skills and behaviors associated with effective music teaching and also predicted whether each man would be a band director, choir director, string orchestra director, or elementary general music teacher. The results from measurement invariance analysis show that participants rated the gay voice higher on measures of maintaining high musical standards and organization, whereas they rated the straight-sounding speaker higher on measures of leadership. The results from a multinomial logistic regression show that listeners predicted that the gay-sounding speaker would most likely be an elementary general music teacher and that the straight-sounding speaker would be a band director. The differences between these findings and prior research, nuance of leadership versus classroom management, and the need for further research on stereotypical voices are discussed.

Gay- and Straight-Sounding Auditory Cues Elicit Stereotyping About Teaching Effectiveness

Journal of Research in Music Education ◽

10.1177/0022429420948229 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 002242942094822

Author(s):

Donald M. Taylor ◽

Jay S. Raadt

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Classroom Management ◽

Effective Teaching ◽

Teaching Effectiveness ◽

Music Teachers ◽

The United States ◽

Music Teaching ◽

Auditory Cues ◽

Teachers Perceptions ◽

And Behaviors

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a “gay-sounding” voice on heterosexual music teachers’ perceptions of music teaching effectiveness. Music teachers across the United States ( N = 575) listened to two men between the ages of 18 and 25 years old with stereotypically gay and straight voices, respectively, reading a short paragraph. After hearing each speaker in counterbalanced order, participants rated the likelihood of each speaker’s ability to demonstrate top skills and behaviors associated with effective teaching using a 4-point Likert-type scale. Listeners rated the gay voice higher on measures of maintaining high musical standards and organization; they rated the straight voice higher on measures of leadership, classroom management, and maturity. Strategies to combat these stereotypes are discussed.

Elementary General Music Teachers’ Preparation in Classroom Management

10.1177/10570837211062183 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 105708372110621

Author(s):

Jennifer Potter Gee

Keyword(s):

Music Education ◽

Classroom Management ◽

Teacher Educators ◽

Music Teachers ◽

Music Teacher ◽

Teacher Education Programs ◽

General Music ◽

Course Content ◽

Management Preparation

The purpose of this study was to examine elementary general music teachers’ classroom management preparation within music teacher education programs. Participants ( N = 341) were active elementary general music teachers as identified by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Descriptive data included frequencies, percentages, and cross-tabulations. The most frequently reported sources of classroom management preparation were mentoring from a licensed teacher and supervised fieldwork, while creating classroom rules and expectations and teaching procedures were the most frequent examples of within-course content. Participants were most satisfied with their preparation received through licensed teacher mentoring and supervised fieldwork. Implications for music teacher educators are presented.

Characteristics of Early Childhood and Elementary General Music Methods Coursework for Preservice Music Teachers

10.1177/10570837211024529 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 105708372110245

Author(s):

Karen Salvador ◽

Mara E. Culp

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Teacher Candidates ◽

Music Teachers ◽

Music Educators ◽

Music Teacher ◽

Teacher Education Programs ◽

General Music ◽

Music Teacher Education ◽

Music Methods ◽

Although many music teacher candidates begin university studies planning to teach secondary ensembles, most will ultimately be certified to teach younger children and may be called to do so. The purpose of this study was to examine how music teacher education programs prepare preservice music educators to teach music to children from birth through elementary school through coursework. We emailed survey invitations to representatives from 512 institutions accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music to prepare music educators. We received 134 usable responses (response rate = 26%). Nearly all respondents offered elementary general music methods (EGMM), and over three quarters required EGMM for all students in initial licensure programs. Only about one in ten responding institutions offered early childhood music methods (ECMM). We describe findings on EGMM and ECMM course structures, content, and materials as well as the employment status, degree background, and other qualifications of the person who typically taught this coursework

At the intersection of belief and practice: A mixed-methods study of elementary general music educator praxis

Psychology of Music ◽

10.1177/03057356211050670 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 030573562110506

Author(s):

Karen Salvador ◽

Christina Svec ◽

Jessica Glaser ◽

Amy Sierzega ◽

Alice Broadway

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Teaching Practices ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Linear Models ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Music Educators ◽

General Music ◽

Music Teaching ◽

Time Sampling ◽

Recent research describing the practices of specialist elementary general music teachers and students is limited, and few research studies specifically examine how practicing music educators think about their music teaching practices. In this mixed-methods case study, we bridged these areas of research by examining music educators’ expressed beliefs about music teaching and learning in light of descriptive analysis and hierarchical linear models (HLM) of time sampling data of their teaching practices in elementary music classrooms. Participants ( N = 7) shared beliefs that everyone is musical and that music educators must therefore create an environment in which children develop their musicianship by singing, moving, and playing. Time sampling data indicated that teachers spent most of their time talking, while students spent most of their time sitting still and silent. Children in younger grades spent significantly more time in movement activities than those in older grades. HLM analyses provided predictive implications for teachers’ use of singing and movement. In this article, we present findings from qualitative analysis of planning artifacts, reflections, and interviews and from HLM of time sampling data, and discuss potential meanings for music teaching and music teacher education.

Improving Classroom Management Issues by Building Connections with Families: Part 1

General Music Today ◽

10.1177/1048371319880877 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 36-39

Author(s):

Tiger Robison

Keyword(s):

Elementary School ◽

Classroom Management ◽

Music Teachers ◽

Early Career ◽

Experienced Teachers ◽

General Music ◽

Meaningful Connections ◽

Management Issues

Experienced teachers often know the value of partnering with students’ families to help students gain the most out of their time in school. Elementary general music teachers occupy a unique place in this triangle among students, families, and teachers because, unlike their other elementary school colleagues, they often see hundreds of students each week, year after year. Such circumstances can lead early-career general music teachers to feel overwhelmed about making connections with families. This column, the fifth in a series about classroom management and the first of several about the particular topic of students’ families, contains three techniques for making meaningful connections with students’ families and its benefits toward preventing classroom management issues.

Classroom Management Through Student Choice and Democratic Practices: Part 1

General Music Today ◽

10.1177/1048371320937721 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 104837132093772

Author(s):

Tiger Robison

Keyword(s):

Classroom Management ◽

Student Choice ◽

General Music ◽

Democratic Practices ◽

Management Techniques ◽

Teacher Centered

Employing student choice and democratic practices are pillars of modern classroom management in a variety of settings, including elementary general music spaces. However, as curricula become larger and instructional times become shorter, there is a perhaps a temptation to resort to more teacher-centered management techniques in the perceived interest of saving time. This column, the seventh in a series about classroom management and the first of several about the particular topic of student choice and democratic practices, contains several techniques for teachers who are ready to cede some control of their classrooms at first in exchange for classrooms in which students perhaps feel more invested and help manage more autonomously. Specific techniques include preparing multiple activities to help teach a concept and establishing procedures for class choices of activities.

Overcoming the Octave Displacement: Vocal Modeling Strategies for Male Elementary General Music Teachers

General Music Today ◽

10.1177/1048371318768486 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 66-72

Author(s):

Tiger Robison

Keyword(s):

Music Teachers ◽

Cognitive Strategies ◽

Music Teacher ◽

General Music ◽

Singing Voice ◽

Vocal Health ◽

Instrumental Accompaniment ◽

Vocal Modeling

The purpose of this article is to address the issue that children’s natural singing voices and pitch perception are in a treble range, and a male elementary general music teacher’s natural singing voice is an octave below. There are many strategies to overcome this significant but manageable obstacle in daily teaching, including monitoring of vocal health, use of instrumental accompaniment, encouragement of student vocal modeling, specific vocal exercises and cues, and cognitive strategies to help students discern between child and adult voices. Specific games, prompts, and rubrics are also included in this article to help guide any male elementary general music teacher to the most appropriate long-term vocal modeling solutions.

“I Love Knowing That What I’m Doing Has Purpose”: Male Instrumentalists Who Choose to Teach Elementary General Music

10.1177/1057083717699622 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 48-64

Author(s):

Heather Nelson Shouldice

Keyword(s):

Music Education ◽

Instrumental Music ◽

Teacher Educators ◽

Music Teacher ◽

Teacher Preparation Programs ◽

General Music ◽

Preparation Programs ◽

Collective Case Study ◽

Instrumental Music Education ◽

Few entering music education students plan to teach in an elementary general music (EGM) setting, and the majority of those who teach EGM are female and have vocalist backgrounds. The purpose of this collective case study was to examine six male instrumentalists’ decisions to pursue a career in EGM teaching rather than secondary instrumental music. Analysis of interview data revealed three emergent themes: (a) development of a new schema for EGM, (b) teacher beliefs and identity, and (c) tension between autonomy and the perceived “status quo” in traditional instrumental music education. Findings suggest music teacher educators should be aware of the power of “detracked” coursework in music teacher preparation programs as well as the factors that might influence individuals to choose a career in EGM teaching and/or deter them from choosing a career in secondary instrumental music teaching.

Novice and Experienced Elementary General Music Teachers’ Classroom Management Self-Efficacy

10.1177/1057083720980465 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 105708372098046

Author(s):

Jennifer L. Potter

Keyword(s):

Music Education ◽

Classroom Management ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Music Teachers ◽

Management Strategies ◽

School Setting ◽

Teaching Experience ◽

General Music ◽

Survey Participant ◽

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary general music teachers’ classroom management self-efficacy. Targeted participants were novice and experienced elementary general music teachers teaching in urban, suburban, and rural/small town settings who received a survey disseminated through the National Association for Music Education. Survey participant data were analyzed using analysis of variance and analytic induction. Teaching experience had a significant effect on classroom management efficacy, while school setting did not. Themes that emerged from the analysis of responses to open-ended questions included adapting and implementing classroom management strategies, consistency, parental involvement, students’ home environments, and teacher expectations. Implications are also presented that relate to general music teachers’ self-efficacy.

Assessment and individualized instruction in elementary general music: A case study

Research Studies in Music Education ◽

10.1177/1321103x18773092 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 41 (1) ◽

pp. 18-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Karen Salvador

Keyword(s):

Music Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Individualized Instruction ◽

Music Teacher ◽

General Music ◽

Think Alouds ◽

Differentiation Of Instruction ◽

Relationship Of

Elementary general music teachers have differing perspectives on the meaning and value of assessment, and few studies have examined how the results of assessment are applied in the classroom. In this case study, I investigated how one elementary general music teacher used information from assessments to individualize instruction. Over the course of seven weeks of observation, think-alouds, interviews, and reading the teacher’s journals, I discovered that my guiding questions had implied a simplistic, linear relationship of assessment and differentiation of instruction—that assessment led to individualization. Rather than the direct relationship my questions anticipated, Ms. Stevens’ music teaching was more like a tapestry that included nearly omnipresent threads of assessment and individualized instruction—threads that were often so interwoven as to be somewhat indistinguishable. This article describes the reciprocal, spiraling, intertwined nature of individualized assessment, teaching, and learning in Ms. Stevens’ classroom. I also discuss the related emergent themes of normalizing independent musicking and structuring open-response activities, which were impacted and undergirded by Ms. Stevens’ beliefs regarding the musicality of all children and the purpose of music education.