Preparedness of Instrumental Music Majors Teaching Elementary General Music

Abstract

The purpose of this multiple-case study was to examine the career development, choices, and goals of elementary general music teachers who identified as instrumental majors during their undergraduate degree programs. Data collection included a questionnaire, interviews, participant journals, and observation field notes; data were organized using the theoretical framework of social cognitive career theory. Themes are presented in two categories: internal influences (self-efficacy and perceived differences between elementary music and instrumental music) and external influences (economy, undergraduate preparation, and working in elementary general music). Implications regarding the development of self-efficacy and preparation for teaching outside of one’s specialization are discussed.

Keywords

music teacher education music teacher preparation self-efficacy social cognitive career theory

Although it is not practiced at all institutions, a common structural element of the music education preparation program is choosing a specialization or concentration in one area of music at or before the commencement of one’s undergraduate career. The practice was developed in 1954 at the University of Illinois; instrumental, choral, and general music tracks were established in order to reduce the number of credit hours and time needed in a certification program (Groulx, 2016; Kuhn, 1955). In contradiction with tracked music teacher education programs, most music teachers receive comprehensive licensure (May, Willie, Worthen, & Pehrson, 2017). While having discrete tracks of music teacher education streamlined the preparation process, as the current study explored, the specificity may not always adequately prepare teachers for the broad range of teaching experiences they will likely encounter in the field or for which they are certified.

Due to a variety of circumstances, many music educators have reported teaching at least one course outside of their specialization area (Ballantyne, 2006; Bowles, 2002; Brophy, 2002; Groulx, 2016). Teaching out of one’s specialization may occur for various reasons, including teacher shortages (Bergee & Demorest, 2003; Hamann & Ebie, 2009; Roulston, Legette, & Trotman Womack, 2005), scarcity of jobs (Corfield-Adams, 2012; Kuebel, 2017), teaching positions that include multiple areas of music (Kuebel, 2017), or expectations from administration to be able to teach in all areas of one’s license (Conway, 2002). Other factors are more within the individuals’ influence, for example, preference for teaching specific areas or age groups (Robinson, 2010; Shouldice, 2013).

An additional factor in accepting and succeeding in a teaching position outside of one’s specialization is self-efficacy. Self-efficacy, from Albert Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory, is “the belief that one can master a situation and produce positive outcomes” (Santrock, 2004, p. 226). As Giallo and Little (2003) described in their examination of teachers’ self-efficacy and classroom management, “if an individual does not believe he/she has the necessary ability to perform a task, he/she will not initiate or engage in the relevant behaviors, or as Bandura asserts, persist in difficult situations” (p. 22). If teachers are prepared appropriately, they may exhibit higher levels of self-efficacy to help them through the potential difficulties, such as teaching outside of their specialization (Kuebel, 2017).

Researchers have discussed out-of-specialization teaching placements and preparation in various contexts (Grieser & Hendricks, 2018; Hamann & Ebie, 2009; Parker & Powell, 2014); however, elementary general music may be the most common class non–general music specialists teach (Groulx, 2016). A few researchers have explored why instrumentalists transition to elementary general music and how this has affected their teacher identity, providing a foundation for the current research (Corfield-Adams, 2012; Kuebel, 2017; Robinson, 2010; Shouldice, 2013). The current study focuses only on educators transitioning from instrumental to elementary general music as opposed to choral or other variations.

In examining the career development of instrumental music majors teaching elementary general music, the theoretical framework of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) may be applied (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994). The goal of SCCT is to “explain central, dynamic processes and mechanisms, through which (a) career and academic interests develop, (b) career-relevant choices are forged and enacted, and (c) performance outcomes are achieved” (p. 80), with self-efficacy as a central component. A revision of the theory explored career development over the lifetime (Lent & Brown, 2013); however, the focus of this study remains within the purposes of the original SCCT listed earlier, specifically, career choices and performances outcomes or goals related to career advancement (Lent et al., 1994).

SCCT (Lent et al., 1994) describes the interaction of personal goals, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations and their impact on career-related interest, choice, and performance through three models. In the career interest model, individuals develop self-efficacy and outcome expectations specific to one field or occupation. The choice model illustrates how an individual accommodates events and factors outside of their control that will affect decisions related to their career. For example, as discussed in previous studies (Corfield-Adams, 2012; Kuebel, 2017), there are times when a specific job is not available within geographical limitations, which may lead an individual to pursue a job based more on levels of self-efficacy and outcome expectations than on career interests. However, the authors emphasize that self-efficacy is not a substitute for one’s abilities and skills (Lent et al., 1994). The task performance model of SCCT explains career-related accomplishments and persistence. Lent, Brown, and Hackett (2002) state, “Strong self-efficacy beliefs and more favorable outcome expectations promote more ambitious goals, which help people mobilize and sustain their performance behavior” (p. 277).

Although music education researchers have reported on self-efficacy and teacher efficacy for some time (Hendricks, 2015), SCCT has been applied in only two known studies in music education. Thornton and Bergee (2008) utilized the framework to examine how self-efficacy influenced individuals’ interest to become music educators. More recently, Bulgren (2017) implemented the theory in his research related to male elementary general music educators. The theory was applied in the current study to examine the career choices impacting the participants’ decisions to transition to elementary general music and how they modified their task performance goals related to this professional change.

How do participants describe the various factors that influenced their decision to take a teaching position outside of the undergraduate specialization?

How did experiences during the participants’ undergraduate music teacher preparation programs prepare them for teaching elementary general music?

How did these factors and experiences impact the participants’ career goals and outcome expectations?

Method

I designed the current study using the qualitative methodology of instrumental multiple-case study to examine the cases of five instrumentalists teaching elementary general music (Creswell, 2013). A case study is instrumental when the intent is “to understand a specific issue, problem, or concern and a case or cases selected to best understand the problem” (Creswell, 2013, p. 98). Along with time and geographical limitations, the cases identified in the current research were bound by the educational and work experiences of the participants, all of whom were prepared as instrumentalists and were teaching elementary general music at the time of the study. Each case reflects an individual teacher and not the specific classroom environment. Multiple-case study was utilized in order to examine the similarities and differences between each participant’s experiences (Creswell, 2013).

I gathered a variety of data from August 2016 to November 2016 to find supporting evidence from multiple sources (Yin, 2014). Data sources collected during the current research included a questionnaire, interviews, participant journals, and observation field notes. The questionnaire was based on a document from Corfield-Adams (2012). Her questionnaire, reprinted with permission, is included as Supplemental Table S1 (in the online version of the article). I modified Corfield-Adams’s questionnaire in the following ways: removed introductory and closing statements to the participants; modified Question 1 to state, “List your educational history (degree, school, location of school)”; removed Question 3; removed the first portion of Question 5; removed the second portion of Question 6; and removed Question 8. While recruiting, I gave the questionnaire to potential participants as a screening tool to ensure that they met the requisite qualifications for participation in the study (e.g., instrumental music education major, elementary general music teacher). Questions were related to undergraduate experiences and career goals the participants had set near the time of their entrance into the field. I revisited these questions in the individual interviews to provide the participants with an opportunity to share additional details.

The primary source of data was two 1-hr, semistructured interviews with each participant. The first interview was based on elements of the literature related to becoming a music educator and undergraduate preparation; the second interview involved more in-depth questions regarding the participants’ educational experiences and professional development opportunities that supported their success as elementary general music educators. Over an 8-week period, beginning near the first interviews, I e-mailed all participants once a week with a prompt related to their teacher preparation, the impacts of teaching outside of their specialization, and perception of self-efficacy. Participants were asked to respond to at least three of the eight prompts; I received seven journal entries from two participants and all eight entries from three participants. Additional sources of data included field notes from two 1-hr observations of each participant teaching his or her elementary general music classes. Although the material from this article is largely drawn from the questionnaire, interviews, and journals, all data were interpreted in light of observations.

I coded the data using HyperRESEARCH software (Researchware, 2013). Beginning with an a priori list of codes adapted from four directly related studies (Corfield-Adams, 2012; Kuebel, 2017; Robinson, 2010; Shouldice, 2013), I made additions and modifications to the list as needed. I arranged codes into categories based on their prominence in each case. In the individual case analysis, categories, or themes, emerged directly from the data. Using the processes described by Stake (2006), I created a foundation for the cross-case analysis based on the research questions of the current study.

Trustworthiness was established throughout the research using several protocols. For the purpose of peer review, two colleagues verified my coding process with minimal changes suggested. Participants reviewed the initial analysis of their individual case and provided feedback and modifications to my interpretation. I triangulated the data through the use of multiple sources and provided rich, thick description throughout the presentation of the data, cross-case analysis, and discussion.

I employed reflexivity (Patton, 2015) by reflecting on my own experiences and potential predispositions in order to develop a more unbiased presentation of the data and analysis. With piano as my primary instrument and experiences as a student in both band and choir, I registered as a music education major with an instrumental focus when I began my undergraduate degree at a large public university in Ohio. Eventually I added courses in all “tracks” of the degree program, completing the choral and instrumental options as well as most of the general option. I student taught in K–12 band, orchestra, choir, and general music and have taught band, choir, and general music. After 2 years of teaching junior high choir and general music, I relocated and accepted an elementary general music and beginning band position. I taught in those two areas for 5 years before beginning my doctoral degree; I am now an elementary general specialist in a higher education position. Although I did not know any of the participants prior to the start of this study, many aspects of their stories are similar to my own.

Due to the importance of self-efficacy in teaching outside of one’s specialization, I applied Lent et al.’s (1994) SCCT as a theoretical framework for this study. The theory was used to develop interview questions and analyze data based on the three key points of academic and career development: establishment of career-related interests, career choices, and performance in academic and career pursuits. Data collection associated with the establishment of career-related interests was determined through interview questions regarding why the participants chose music education as a profession and the factors that influenced this decision and informed Research Questions 1 and 2. Performance in academic and career goals were discussed during interviews to provide data for Research Questions 2 and 3 regarding the preparation, continuing education, and professional development the participants experienced that guided them to feel successful in their work in elementary general music. SCCT was used in the current study to illustrate the growth of the participants’ career trajectories and to emphasize the importance of self-efficacy as an influence of behaviors and choices that may lead to success in teaching outside of one’s specialization.

Participants

To be selected, potential participants of the study were required to meet specific criteria. Due to the similarities between the populations of the current study and the work of Robinson (2010), I used the specifications he required of his respondents, including that they had completed a degree in instrumental music education and were teaching elementary general music for the majority of their job at the time of the study. The following introductions to participants include their career interest development as well as some career choices as interpreted through SCCT. Table 1 provides information regarding each participant, and additional participant information is provided in Supplemental Table S2 (in the online version of the article).

Table 1.

Participant Information: Brief.

Name	Total Years Teaching	Years Teaching EG	Years in Current School	Grades Teaching
Helen	14	14	10	K–5
Matthew	8	8	8	K–5 and beginning band
Sarah	6	1	1	K–5
Patrick	6	6	3	K–5 and beginning band
Meghan	3	3	3	K and 1

Note. All names are pseudonyms. EG = elementary general music.

Helen

Helen’s initial sources of self-efficacy and outcome expectations related to her career interests included her family’s involvement in music and the opportunities she was given to take lessons at a fairly early age, including piano in first grade, cello in fourth grade, and flute in sixth grade. Because Helen felt she was “good” at music and enjoyed school, she developed the desire for these two aspects of her life to be combined, which she remembered solidifying around sixth grade. One resulting outcome expectation was that if she became a music teacher, she would love her job. Helen’s career interest, to become a music teacher, then led her to set goals that would allow her to remain involved in music, including high school band, orchestra, and choir. Helen continued to improve her performance skills and pursued bachelor’s degrees in both music education and German. She student taught 4th- through 12th-grade strings and intended to look for orchestral jobs.

After graduating, Helen spent 1 year teaching abroad. When she did not get hired for an instrumental position upon returning to the United States, she applied for a broad range of jobs, including elementary general music. She spent 3 years teaching kindergarten, first-, and second-grade music. During her 3rd year of teaching, Helen experienced a reduction in force. As she prepared to move to another district, she applied for only elementary general music positions. At the time of this study, Helen was in her 10th year of teaching at her second school, teaching kindergarten-through-fifth-grade general music.

Matthew

Matthew’s career interests evolved throughout his adolescent and teenage years. He became involved in band in fourth grade; although he initially joined for social reasons, he quickly developed a passion for instrumental music. He encountered sources of self-efficacy that resulted in his desire to continue, even when he changed instruments in high school, switching from clarinet to trumpet. After he found additional success on his new instrument, he pursued activities to increase his participation in instrumental music, such as marching band and drum corps.

With Matthew’s fairly extensive experiences in instrumental music, he chose to follow the instrumental track of the music education program. “I entered college with the intention of teaching secondary instrumental music,” he wrote (questionnaire, July 22, 2016). He continued along this path, eventually student teaching 5th-through-12th-grade band.

Matthew felt options in his preferred geographic location were limited at the time he graduated, impacting his career choice. He chose to take a job in elementary general music rather than risk not having a job for what he feared would be several years. Although he continued to look for instrumental teaching positions throughout his first few years of work, Matthew eventually settled into his role as an elementary general music educator and established professional goals related to this specialization. At the time of the study, Matthew was in his 8th year of teaching kindergarten-through-fifth-grade general music and fifth-grade band.

Sarah

Throughout her career interest development, Sarah progressed toward the profession of music education as she found success and fulfillment in her musical experiences. She began lessons on piano, tuba, and voice during her middle school years. Her skills at playing the tuba and the supportive environment of teachers and parents created additional opportunities for her to develop as a musician, such as performing in marching band and community ensembles throughout her high school and college years. She was initially both a performance and music education major but completed only the music education degree.

Sarah’s original teaching goal was to become a band teacher. The first job she held was assistant band director, also working with the orchestras in the district. When she learned of an open elementary choral supplemental position, she also absorbed those duties, her first endeavor in teaching elementary students. When Sarah was let go from the position due to a reduction in force, she included elementary music in her job search. She taught a mixture of band, choir, and general music during her next two jobs and then took 2 years off to complete her master’s degree full-time. At the time of the study, Sarah was in her first few weeks of her fourth job, where she was responsible for kindergarten-through-fourth-grade general music.

Patrick

Patrick began playing the trumpet in elementary school and was “hooked” immediately. He found success and enjoyment in activities such as marching band and drum corps, and knew that he wanted to pursue music professionally. He briefly considered other careers but not with the same intensity as music and eventually knew he would complete a degree in music education.

Similar to Michael, Patrick felt the job openings were limited for his ideal position of middle band school director or assistant high school director, so he broadened his job search geographically and across content areas. Although his first position was advertised as primarily an elementary general music job, it ended up as largely instrumental work. After 3 years, he chose to move to an elementary general music position in a larger district, hoping an instrumental position would open there in the future. Patrick was in his 3rd year of his second job, teaching kindergarten-through-fifth-grade general music and fifth-grade beginning band at two of the six elementary schools in his district.

Meghan

Meghan’s career interests developed throughout her early experiences playing music with her family and at school in concert band and marching band. She gained confidence related to music as she performed successfully at a high level with her ensembles. Her growing self-efficacy was also confirmed when she received a full scholarship to her undergraduate music education degree program. As a saxophone player with a strong band background, Meghan pursued the instrumental track during her music education degree and hoped to teach instrumental music. During her undergraduate program, she was not overly concerned with the age group she would one day teach, whether it be high school or middle school, but she knew that she wanted to be a band director.

After graduation, Meghan looked for all types of music teaching jobs because she wanted to remain close to her family. “I was searching for anything and everything,” she told me (interview, September 16, 2016). With some experiences in her undergraduate program working with elementary students, including student teaching general music for kindergarten, 3rd grade, and 4th grade, as well as band for 5th through 12th grades, she felt confident to take a position with younger students. At the time of the current study, Meghan was working at two different sites, teaching kindergarten general music at one school and first-grade general music at the other. She was in her 3rd year in this teaching position, which was also her 3rd year of teaching since graduating from her undergraduate program.

Findings

When viewed through the framework of SCCT, the themes of the cross-case analysis encompassed factors that influenced the participants’ career choice and professional goals. I have divided the themes into two categories: internal influences and external influences. Internal influences include self-efficacy and perceived differences between elementary music and instrumental music. External influences include economy, undergraduate preparation, and working in elementary general music.

Internal Factors

Self-efficacy

An overarching theme that impacted the participants’ decision to work outside of their specialization was self-efficacy. Although most participants said they were not prepared to teach elementary general music when they first began, they maintained the self-described ability to “figure it out,” persevere, and “make it work.” The participants’ high levels of self-efficacy, demonstrated through the recurring use of these words, allowed them to believe that they could be successful in the potentially challenging situation of teaching outside of the area of music in which they had been prepared.

Several participants described their experiences using self-efficacious language. Matthew stated, “Now that I know my craft more, I realize I was grossly unprepared for my job except for a determination to figure things out and succeed” (questionnaire, July 22, 2016). Meghan shared, “I could make that work and I would do my best with it. It’s a little out of my element, but I can figure this out” (interview, September 16, 2016). Helen told me, “I think at the end of the day it all hangs up with the individual. I really do. And I think if someone wants to succeed, they are going to find ways to do it” (interview, October 4, 2016). She described herself as “hard-working and willing to fight for my students to have the best possible music education” (journal, November 15, 2016). These traits allowed her to find success in elementary teaching, persevering through challenging moments of working in a new content area.

Perceived differences between elementary music and instrumental music

The participants pointed out several differences between instrumental and elementary general music that impacted their decisions to teach elementary general music: potential limitations of instrumental music, work–life balance, and goodness of fit. In regard to limitations, the participants believed that general music allowed for more creativity in their teaching and lesson planning. Helen described, “I really just like the diversity involved in elementary general. It really appeals to me” (interview, August 23, 2016). Patrick also thought that teaching elementary general music allowed him to thrive creatively in a way that instrumental music did not. “Success isn’t defined in the same way as it is in band,” he told me (interview, November 1, 2016), which he felt was refreshing.

All the participants referenced the benefit of work–life balance associated with teaching elementary general music. While Patrick and Matthew assisted local marching bands, and Helen and Meghan taught lessons after school, the flexibility of their general music positions gave them the availability to participate in these other activities without being a requirement of their full-time positions. Sarah’s needs for work–life balance were more family focused at the time of the study. After having her first child, her priorities had shifted, and she wanted to apply for a position that was only general music in order to have the hours after school with her growing family. A few weeks before data collection began for this study, Sarah e-mailed me to inform me that she had applied for, and been offered, a new job teaching kindergarten-through-fourth-grade general music. She believed that this job would offer her the work–life balance she needed.

The participants also discussed finding a goodness of fit between their personalities and elementary general music. Helen felt that her individual interests allowed her to thrive in an elementary general teaching position where she could connect with her students using various genres, instruments, and activities. Although he had initially struggled with the reality of not obtaining a band position, Matthew described how he felt teaching elementary general was a better fit for him. He believed he was able to “connect with elementary kids better than high school students” (interview, November 3, 2016). Patrick also found that he enjoyed teaching elementary general music. He told me, “I never thought when I first got hired as an elementary teacher I would find a niche in that as well, but I enjoyed it. It brought me a lot of joy” (interview, September 14, 2016).

External Influences

Economy

One of the most prominent influences on the participants’ job searches was the impact of the Great Recession (2007–2009). Four of the five participants in the current study were searching for work at the height of the recession. While jobs were plentiful when the participants had entered their undergraduate programs, as Helen stated, “I had no way of knowing the economy was going to collapse after I graduated” (interview, October 4, 2016). Patrick gave this description during our first interview:

[I was looking for a job] right after the recession of 2008. When I went to college everyone was getting jobs or at least able to hold a job, even if it was in a small little district. But when 2008 happened a bunch of people lost their jobs; a bunch of school districts were letting people go and not filling those positions even after they gained some economic stability because it was the conservative thing to do for administrations. (interview, September 14, 2016)

Sarah and Helen were directly impacted as both were removed from their first jobs due to a reduction in force.

Matthew was most vocal regarding the impacts of the economy on his career choice. He felt his future was dependent upon finding work in any specialization of music, broadening his search as he became increasingly aware of budget cuts and limited job opportunities in the geographic region he wanted to live. Matthew had never intended to teach elementary music for a significant time. He confessed, “I took this as a 1-year, you know, ‘take it for a year and get out’ sort of job. So, I never thought I would be here still, to be honest with you” (interview, September 8, 2016). The funding for schools in the area that Matthew was teaching was a concern for several years, and as such, he remained in the job longer than he had intended. He shared,

I knew that in 2012 everyone who got state funding was going to get their budget slashed because that’s when the stimulus money was going to run out. So, there was going to be a lot of layoffs, probably. And there was. . . . It turned from this is my 1st-year job to, well, let’s stay here 3 years or so and ride out this storm, not get laid off in a [reduction in force]. Did I want to do band? Maybe. Did I want a secure salary and buy a house and get married and have a family way more than that? Heck yeah. So, I feel like that’s also influenced my decision to stay. (interview, September 8, 2016)

Matthew was able to understand early in his career the influence of the political climate on education. That knowledge, accompanied by his desire to provide for his family, challenged his original career goals but ultimately led him to find elementary general music.

Undergraduate preparation

The participants individually shared that they had not had a great deal of exposure to elementary general music throughout their undergraduate degree programs and, as such, had felt unprepared to teach elementary general music when they first began. They used words such as overwhelmed, unprepared, clueless, and survival when describing their first years of teaching. When asked if she felt prepared to work as an elementary general music teacher by her undergraduate program, Helen replied, “No, and I was frustrated by that” (questionnaire, July 13, 2016).

The participants agreed that the most important parts of their undergraduate programs to support their transition to elementary general music were peer teaching, observations, and fieldwork, or authentic-context learning (ACL) experiences, through their introduction to music education and general music methods courses. During their undergraduate programs, all of the participants took Introduction to Music Education, and all completed Elementary General Music Methods except for Sarah, who took a secondary general music course. The participants recalled a mixture of ACL experiences from their courses, including observations and teaching lessons of approximately 5 to 10 min in the field. These experiences, although not extensive, strengthened the participants’ self-efficacy to a point high enough to impact career choices although not enough to feel completely prepared for teaching elementary general music.

While the desire for additional fieldwork in multiple content areas of music was present among all participants, they also recognized that they may not have been open to more elementary general experiences during their undergraduate experiences. Meghan was the only participant who had a substantial amount of time with elementary students, which took place for her during her student teaching. At the time, she had felt as though she had enough training with elementary students because she was not planning to teach that age group and specialization. Now working with kindergarten and first-grade students, Meghan admitted that her limited experiences did not feel like enough to adequately prepare her for teaching elementary general music.

Working in elementary general music

While teaching elementary general, the participants began to make career choices and set certain professional goals to improve their pedagogical skills. These goals were largely related to professional development and continuing education. For some participants, these choices highlighted their commitment to elementary general music, whereas for others, it exposed their desire to return to instrumental music.

When first beginning as elementary general music educators, the participants acknowledged aspects of their teaching with which they were not confident. These included pacing and sequencing for younger learners, acquiring and implementing developmentally appropriate curricula and resources, and the specific skills of singing and movement. The participants quickly found forms of continuing education and professional development to support their success in elementary general music and improve the areas in which they struggled.

Helen had participated in extensive professional development (see Supplemental Table S2 in the online version of the article). Her experiences in various methodologies were evident in her teaching. During my observations, I saw her seamlessly transition from Orff-Schulwerk to Music Learning Theory to Kodály between and within various activities. For example, while teaching folk songs to her students, including instrumental accompaniment on xylophones and classroom instruments, she would extend the activity by performing tonal patterns with or without solfège (field notes, August 23, 2016).

Helen seemed to have reached a point where she felt she had resolved the initial challenges she faced at the beginning of her career and was seeking new challenges and setting more dynamic professional goals. She told me,

I read on message boards that teachers are having problems with things and I feel like I’ve moved beyond that. I don’t feel like I’m struggling with a lot of things. There are some things that sure still get me, but I feel like I’m moving on to creating my own ideas. (interview, October 4, 2016)

One way in which this manifested itself was in Helen’s desire to contribute to the profession. She expressed an interest in writing articles for various publications about some of the activities that she had done in her classroom and in private lessons. Helen also wanted to incorporate new types of activities into her classroom, such as using technology and beat-boxing on recorders.

Matthew had also completed a great deal of professional development and was particularly inspired by his experiences with Orff-Schulwerk. When I asked him what he thought of the workshops and course work, he responded,

I loved it! I can’t imagine a time in my life where I was a happier human being than the 2 weeks during the Orff workshop. It’s more than just professional development. You get that aesthetic experience, that spiritual experience for yourself. And then you have the inner fire, the inspiration to give it to your students. Especially after my Level 2. At that point I had decided this is my career, not just something I was doing until levies pass and I can get a job elsewhere or something. (interview, November 3, 2016)

The experience changed his perspective on general music and even inspired him to remain an elementary general music teacher. Matthew included Orff-Schulwerk processes and activities into his daily classes and expanded his students’ opportunities for creativity, which I observed while visiting his classroom. At the time of the study, he was also applying for the American Orff-Schulwerk Association mentorship program in order to work with a more experienced teacher. Matthew seemed excited at the possibility of being connected with someone who could guide him toward achieving some of his professional goals. Although he had considered moving to an instrumental position in the past, he told me that he felt “motivated and happy” (journal, September 16, 2016) in his job and felt confident that he would remain in his elementary teaching position.

Among other professional development, one way that Sarah sought to improve her teaching and increase her efficacy as an elementary general educator was to take an elementary general music methods course during her master’s degree. This class provided her with some of the experiences she had felt she was missing from her undergraduate training, including observations, field experience, and peer teaching directly related to the lower elementary age group. She explained that she felt the structure of this course better prepared her “to successfully teach elementary” (e-mail communication, December 21, 2016). Sarah was continuing to develop her performance goals during the time of the study as she was still in flux from her most recent transition to her newest teaching position, which took place about a month prior to the start of the school year in which data collection took place.

Although Sarah’s immediate performance goals were related to elementary general music, her long-term goals were unclear. She wrote in a journal entry, “I do not know currently if I will return to instrumental music. My feelings are that I may if given an opportunity, but I am not sure. I find myself missing it from day to day” (journal, October 12, 2016). In multiple sources, she indicated that she was undecided about the future of her career and therefore avoided setting significant performance goals.

Patrick also discussed a sense of uncertainty, specifically related to the goals he would set for additional training and career outcomes. He knew that additional professional development, such as completing his master’s degree and additional Orff-Schulwerk or Dalcroze training, would be important decisions to make in the near future, but he was not actively pursuing those types of experiences. This hesitation was due to being uncertain about remaining in an elementary general music teaching position.

While she had found enjoyment in teaching elementary general music, Meghan had chosen not to pursue additional training until she felt more stabilized in her career goals and interests and more confident financially. Meghan’s performance goals and accomplishments were largely based on her initial entry into the field of music education. Her goals at the time of the study were to continue to progress in her daily teaching practices as well as complete the state’s teaching license requirements.

Discussion

Various internal and external factors influenced the participants’ decisions to accept teaching positions in elementary general music and impacted their professional goals related to the new specialization. These factors, along with other elements of SCCT, allow for a deeper understanding of the participants’ experiences. I return to the original research questions as a guide for the following discussion.

Several factors influenced the participants’ decisions to take a teaching position outside of their undergraduate specialization. The participants’ perceived differences between instrumental and elementary general music are replication findings similar to the work of other researchers. Authors have discussed their participants’ perceptions that the performance-driven approach to instrumental music limited their opportunities to teach in diverse, student-centered, and creative ways (Corfield-Adams, 2012; Robinson, 2010; Shouldice, 2013). Corfield-Adams (2012) and Robinson (2010) also reported their participants’ appreciation of the work–life balance associated with teaching elementary general music. Regardless of gender or familial responsibilities, which have been discussed in previous research (Bulgren, 2017; Robinson, 2010; Robison, 2016), every participant reported an appreciation of the flexibility their elementary general music teaching position afforded them. While not identified as a theme in his research, Robinson (2010) discussed how goodness of fit between personality and career choice impacted his participants’ transitions from instrumental to elementary general music. He believed that the participants in his study “were able to intuitively determine that an instrumental music teaching environment was an ‘incongruent’ fit with their personality type” (Robinson, 2010, p. 43). Identifying this possible mismatch led them to change career goals and find a work environment that was ultimately more professionally satisfying. While a foundation of research exists for instrumentalists transitioning to elementary general music, further research is necessary to gain insight into career choices made related to other content areas of music education.

One of the most prominent influences on the participants’ job searches was the impact of the Great Recession, which took place from 2007 to 2009. There are no known studies to provide statistics that detail the impacts of the economy on the music education profession, although it has been examined more broadly (Stone, Van Horn, & Zukin, 2012). Four of the five participants in the current study accepted positions outside of their specialization as a result of the recession that, as described earlier, were positions they had not planned to stay in for a significant time. It seems as though providing undergraduate students with an understanding of the climate of the job market, including potential mobility within the profession and strategies to follow if or when faced with a potential reduction in force, might be of value for preservice teachers entering the field.

Evidence of self-efficacy as a component of choosing to accept a teaching position outside of one’s specialization is a valuable finding of this study, specifically in the context of attrition. Early-career educators might experience what is known as praxis, or practice, shock (Ballantyne, 2007) when they enter the field. Ballantyne (2007) defined this as the “‘shock’ experienced by teachers when there is a discrepancy between their expectations of school life and the realities of teaching” (p. 120). Teaching outside of one’s specialization may exaggerate praxis shock felt by novice teachers. High levels of self-efficacy might alleviate some of the strain of the phenomenon and allow teachers to remain in education for longer periods (Robertson-Kraft & Duckworth, 2014). The determination of the participants to “figure it out” illustrated that the participants’ self-efficacy provided them with the willingness to persist when teaching outside of their specialization. Further research is needed into the impacts of self-efficacy on teacher retention and success in teaching outside of one’s specialization.

Based on the participants’ undergraduate experiences, an underlying implication of the current study is the need to consider the alignment of music teacher preparation with licensure practices. Various suggestions for broader preparation have been described throughout the literature as detracked course work (Conway, 2002, 2012; Robinson, 2010; Roulston et al., 2005) and customizable degree options (Groulx, 2016). Five-year programs have also been suggested (Conway, 2002, 2012; Greher & Tobin, 2006) and have been shown to increase teacher retention (Andrew, 1990). As the impetus for the tracked system was to reduce hours spent in undergraduate teacher preparation programs (Kuhn, 1955), adding classes for a broader preparation would contradict this need that persists in contemporary music education degree programs. Additional research is needed to understand exemplar programs implementing broader program ideas.

While pursuing curricular changes or removing tracked systems is a more complicated proposal, music teacher educators could consider places in the existing teacher preparation programs that can support the development of preservice teachers in multiple areas of music education and increase self-efficacy. Although limited in time, the participants of the current study concluded that the ACL experiences they had in Introduction to Music Education and Elementary General Music Methods were an effective form of preparation for teaching elementary general music. ACL experiences have been discussed in research regarding preservice preparation as an approach to improve teaching (e.g., Brophy, 2002; Conway 2012; Groulx, 2016; Roulston et al., 2005), develop pedagogical content knowledge (Ballantyne, 2007; Grieser & Hendricks, 2018; Millican, 2008), and affect teaching efficacy (Prichard, 2017). Core teaching practices, as identified by researchers such as Millican and Forrester (2017), may also provide a framework within which music teacher educators can support the development of undergraduate students’ skills that will be used in music teaching regardless of specialization. Hendricks’s (2015) review of studies on self-efficacy outlines numerous ways to develop self-efficacy in music settings and might be a foundation for practice and further research regarding the implementation of this idea.

Both internal and external factors, as well as music teacher preparation, impacted the participants’ career goals and outcome expectations. These various factors led to continuing education and professional development choices as well as created an awareness of whether they would or would not remain in elementary general music. Further research, perhaps utilizing the long-term model of SCCT (Lent & Brown, 2013), may be needed to understand the professional development and career decisions of music teachers working outside of their specialization.

Several considerations of the current research may be worthy to note. Due to the small number of participants and qualitative nature of the study, the findings are not generalizable; however, the detailed descriptions provided of each case might allow the reader to infer the transferability of the accounts from the current research into other contexts. While I attempted to recruit participants from a variety of types of institutions, most participants experienced similar types of undergraduate teacher preparation, a limitation in the current study that could be addressed in future research. I sought only participants who were music teachers, not administrators or current or former music teacher educators. While interviews with additional members of the educational ecosystem may be helpful in understanding the larger scope of teacher preparation, it would be problematic in terms of maintaining confidentiality. This could be a consideration for a future study.

An additional consideration of the study are peripheral findings that exposed the complexity of the transition from instrumental to elementary general music. Specifically related to identity, the participants described conflict between their role as instrumental and elementary general music educators that impacted their career choice and professional goals. Gender may also have impacted some of the participants, although, like identity, it was not a focus of this study. These topics may be pertinent to explore in future research in order to provide further depth to the existing literature.

Along with the future research questions outlined earlier, more inquiry is needed among music educators who transition to and from other areas, such as choral or orchestral teaching. In the current study, I chose to focus only on the instrumental-to-elementary-general transition as there is a basis of literature related to this context. Expanding this area of research to include a broader population, as well as include the context of identity along with efficacy, could further the understanding of music teacher development and preparation.

Conclusion

Returning to the theoretical framework of SCCT, my analysis of the data revealed that participants’ high levels of self-efficacy played an important role in their willingness to accept and ability to achieve success in an elementary general music teaching position. The participants’ childhood experiences of private lessons and involvement in ensembles increased their levels of self-efficacy during the time of career-interest development. They later chose to accept teaching positions in elementary general music due to limited instrumental teaching positions available at the time they were searching for work, interest in teaching general music, or the belief that elementary general music would provide a better work–life balance than an instrumental teaching position. Higher levels of self-efficacy related to teaching outside of instrumental music allowed the participants to set new professional goals.

With the use of SCCT, the current study highlighted the self-efficacy and career development of five instrumentalists teaching elementary general music. Participants expressed deficiencies with preparation in a secondary specialization that might have been provided during their undergraduate career. All participants also described numerous ways in which they grew as educators after they began teaching outside of their specialization. Many music educators work outside of their area of concentration, and as such, it is a valuable consideration of current music teacher educators to utilize their current curriculum to better prepare music educators to succeed in a variety of teaching scenarios.

Supplemental Material

Kuebel_JRME_Supplementary_Material – Supplemental material for Preparedness of Instrumental Music Majors Teaching Elementary General Music

Supplemental material, Kuebel_JRME_Supplementary_Material for Preparedness of Instrumental Music Majors Teaching Elementary General Music by Christa R. Kuebel in Journal of Research in Music Education

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Supplemental Material

The supplemental tables are available in the online version of the article at

Author Biography

Christa R. Kuebel is an assistant professor of music education at University of Central Arkansas. Her research interests include music teacher preparation and early childhood music education.

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