Relationships Between Well-Being and Teaching Adaptability Among Music Teacher Educators: A Snapshot of the 2020

Abstract

The purpose of this survey study was to explore the relationships between well-being and adaptability among music teacher educators in the United States during the 2020–2021 academic year. We used an online questionnaire to collect data related to demographics, well-being, adaptability, and academic year events. The 85 participants reported relatively high levels of psychological well-being and adaptability. Specific adaptability attributes (e.g., ability to draw on positive feelings and emotions when confronted with new situations in the classroom) were found to be significant predictors of overall well-being.

Keywords

adaptability flourishing music teacher educators well-being

The 2020–2021 academic year was a particularly difficult time for teachers in all contexts, including higher education. As the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) states in their resources for COVID-19 teaching, “There has never been a time in memory during which we as a profession have faced such a challenge to our teaching” (NAfME, n.d.). Educators have been called upon to adapt curriculum, alter modes of instruction, and support students while navigating significant stressors in their professional and personal lives. These circumstances suggest a need to understand how music educators are navigating their own well-being while adapting to ever-changing workplace conditions. Furthermore, understanding the relationship between well-being and adaptability might yield important implications for music teacher educators and a more nuanced understanding of each construct.

As positive psychology has gained traction in educational settings, there has been increasing research interest in the wellness of teachers (Avsec et al., 2009; Ilgan et al., 2015; Kang & Yoo, 2019; Kelley et al., 2022; Kurt & Demirbolat, 2019; Liang et al., 2017; Miksza et al., 2021; Özü et al., 2017; Parkes et al., 2021; Sisask et al., 2014). Flourishing is a metric of well-being, which can be described as “the experience of life going well. It is a combination of feeling good and functioning effectively” (Huppert & So, 2013, p. 838). Seligman (2011) theorizes that well-being has five components that can be defined and measured as separate but correlated constructs. These components are positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning in life, and accomplishments, often referred to by the acronym PERMA. Seligman (2011) argues that these components all contribute to well-being—interchangeably referred to as flourishing—based on the theoretical grounds that these are what individuals chose freely, “for their own sake” (p. 97).

In another conception of flourishing, Diener and colleagues (2010) described a psychosocial notion of flourishing in which individuals demonstrated “social-psychological prosperity” (p. 144) with “many psychological resources and strengths” (p. 155). Attributes of flourishing included leading a purposeful and meaningful life, supportive and rewarding social relationships, engagement with daily activities, contributing to the happiness and well-being of others, feeling competent in activities important to the individual, feeling like a good person with a good life, being optimistic about the future, and feeling respected by others.

One potential component of psychological well-being is adaptability, as the ability to respond to challenging circumstances is essential for flourishing. Martin (2012) described adaptability as “the capacity to adaptively regulate cognition, emotion, and behavior in response to new, changing, and/or uncertain conditions and circumstances” (p. 90). He further explained that adaptable individuals “purposefully and effectively [adjust] their thought, emotion, and behavior repertoires to give rise to a positive trajectory on a target phenomena” (p. 90), such as teaching. Drawing from the work of dozens of researchers—including those exploring cognition, affect, behavior; life-span theory of control and models of change; and constructs such as buoyancy, resilience, and coping—Martin and colleagues (2012) developed a tool to measure adaptability that was later modified for teachers (Collie & Martin, 2016).

Relationships Between Well-Being and Adaptability Among Teachers

Researchers have explored psychological well-being among teachers and professors in relation to work-family conflict (Panatik et al., 2011), quality of work life (Ilgan et al., 2015), job satisfaction (Kurt & Demirbolat, 2019), spirituality and life meaning (Liang et al., 2017), personality and emotional intelligence (Avsec et al., 2009), and comparisons of well-being among teachers in various countries (Boas & Morin, 2014; Özü et al., 2017). Likewise, adaptability among teachers and professors has been studied in relation to a variety of topics, including student behavior (Collie et al., 2020), personality traits (Eryilmaz & Kara, 2017), workplace experiences (Collie et al., 2018), and emotional intelligence and goal setting (Eryilmaz et al., 2020).

Although the literature is limited, several studies focus on connections between adaptability and well-being in education. Researchers have identified teachers’ adaptability or flexibility as a central factor of effective teaching and learning (e.g., Bransford et al., 2005; Collie & Martin, 2016; Corno, 2008; Kunter et al., 2013; Mansfield et al., 2012; Parsons et al., 2012). In addition, there is evidence to suggest that when K-12 teachers are more adaptable, they tend to report higher levels of well-being (Collie & Martin, 2017). Collie and Martin (2017) noted that teachers’ adaptability was indirectly associated with students’ achievement via teachers’ well-being, suggesting that teachers who are more well and more adaptable are better able to teach their students. They also found that teachers’ perceptions of autonomy support and adaptability were positively associated. Perceptions of autonomy support and adaptability were also positively associated with teachers’ well-being, organizational commitment, and student achievement. The authors suggest that perhaps by being adaptable, teachers can better meet the demands of their work, and thus, they also experience positive psychological functioning. Although we are at present unaware of any studies focused on higher education, the evidence suggests the need to understand the relationship between these variables for teacher educators as well.

Well-Being and Adaptability in Music Education

Specific to music education, there appears to be little extant research regarding psychological well-being among K-12 and university music teachers (e.g., Kang & Yoo, 2019; Kelley et al., 2022; Miksza et al., 2021; Parkes et al., 2021). As far as we can determine, there is no research that specifically explores the well-being of music teacher educators. Kang and Yoo (2019) sought to determine the extent to which K-12 music teachers’ psychological needs and work engagement predicted the teachers’ well-being. Among the participants, teachers’ sense of competence and relatedness (i.e., feeling connected to others) were found to be strong predictors of well-being. In contrast to competence and relatedness, work engagement was not found to be a predictor of well-being; a finding that Kang and Yoo describe as inconsistent with other research. Miksza and colleagues (2021) and Parkes and colleagues (2021) explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers’ psychological well-being. In both studies, the researchers found that teachers reported lower levels of well-being and higher levels of depression than published norms. As far as we could determine, there was no extant research regarding teacher adaptability in music education nor research that might explore the relationship between well-being and adaptability.

The primary purpose of this survey study was to broadly explore the relationship between well-being (Diener et al., 2010) and adaptability (Collie & Martin, 2016; Martin et al., 2012) among music teacher educators in the United States. The primary research questions that guided this investigation were as follows:

How do participants report their overall well-being as measured by the Flourishing Scale (FS) (Diener et al., 2010)?

How do participants perceive their level of adaptability as measured by the Adaptability Scale (AS) (Collie & Martin, 2016; Martin et al., 2012)?

What relationships exist between the measures of well-being and teaching adaptability among participants?

To what extent do participants perceive that specific events during the 2020–2021 academic year impacted their overall well-being and their teaching adaptability?

To provide richer context for our findings, we felt the fourth research question was necessary due to the challenging nature of the 2020–2021 academic year (including, but not limited to, COVID-19, violence against people of color, the broader U.S. political climate, and environmental catastrophes). We determined it was necessary to ask participants about these and other events which may have impacted their well-being and adaptability to acknowledge these challenges and better contextualize our findings.

Method

Questionnaire Content and Format

The questionnaire began with a consent document, screening questions to confirm eligibility for participation in the study, and demographic questions. Next, the questionnaire included the FS created by Diener and colleagues (2010) (see the complete measure in the online supplemental Appendix). The authors of FS designed the scale to “measure social-psychological prosperity” (p. 144) in which a high score indicates “a person with many psychological resources and strengths” (p. 155). Across the eight items in the scale, the measure captures components of well-being including positive relationships, a purposeful and meaningful life, engagement with activities, self-respect and optimism, and competence in activities that are meaningful to the participant. Participants responded to each item using a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Items from across the FS can be combined into a single composite score ranging from 8 (lowest possible score) to 56 (highest possible score). Diener and colleagues (2010) found the measure to be reliable (α = .87) and demonstrated strong convergent validity with a series of other existing measures. In the present study, we also found the measure to be reliable (α = .89).

After the FS scale, we presented the AS designed by Martin and colleagues (2012) (see the complete measure in the online supplemental Appendix). After an extensive review of literature and thorough testing of the measure, Martin and colleagues settled on a 9-item measure comprised of four elements related to adaptability, including (a) “a response to novelty, change, variability and/or uncertainty,” (b) “cognitive, behavioral, or affective functions,” (c) “regulation, adjustment, revision, and/or a new form of access to these three functions,” and (d) “a constructive purpose or outcome” (p. 13). Collie and Martin (2016) would later modify the wording of the original measure for classroom teachers. The second, adapted measure for classrooms was used in the present study. Participants responded to each item using a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Prior researchers have found good reliability of the measure and demonstrated the validity of the scale by confirmatory factor analysis (e.g., Collie et al., 2016; Martin et al., 2012). In the present study, we also found the measure to be reliable (α = .87).

Although we aimed to explore the relationships between well-being and adaptability, we wanted to include some degree of contextualization for these findings in light of the challenges surrounding the 2020–2021 academic year. Accordingly, participants used 5-point scales ranging from “not at all” to “a great deal” to indicate the degree to which various events negatively impacted overall well-being. These events included COVID-19, violence against people of color, the broader political climate of the United States, and environmental catastrophes. We also included an open response item for identifying any additional events that negatively impacted well-being during the 2020–2021 academic year.

As with well-being, we included items that used the same 5-point scale so participants could indicate the degree to which teaching practices were adapted in teacher training courses in light of these events and to identify any additional events that impacted teaching practices in these courses. In the instructions prior to these items, we defined “teaching practices” as aspects of teaching that are directly experienced by students, such as course content, materials, activities, and teaching strategies. For “teacher training courses,” we provided examples of these kinds of classes, such as methods classes, student teaching, and fieldwork, to exclude other types of classes such as ensembles, lessons, and studio classes.

Construction

The questionnaire was constructed in Qualtrics by the first author and then reviewed by the second author. Together, we completed several rounds of edits. The questionnaire was then presented to several music education professionals and researchers for feedback. Additional edits and clarifications were made based on the provided feedback before distribution.

Distribution

Our target participants were music teacher educators working in the United States. We distributed invitations to participate through the NAfME “Research Survey Assistance” service and through several Facebook groups. Through NAfME, we sent the questionnaire to individuals who indicated that they taught in higher education and/or to individuals whose teaching interest was teacher education. For Facebook, we targeted Facebook groups for music teacher educators and music education researchers, including the Society for Music Teacher Education, Researchers in Music Education, Society for Research in Music Education, and the Music Teacher Educators and Mentors Facebook pages. Invitations to participate were sent through these channels in 2021 from late March through April, and the questionnaire remained open for 6 weeks.

In consultation with a representative from NAfME’s Research Survey Assistance service, we learned that approximately 3,700 NAfME members met our inclusion criteria. We decided to distribute through NAfME’s service due to NAfME’s prominence in the profession and the potential number of participants. We also decided to distribute to select Facebook groups to reach more potential participants.

At the time of the study, NAfME policy was to distribute a questionnaire up to 2 times. If researchers requested a second invitation be sent to participants, NAfME scheduled it for 1 week after the initial invitation. NAfME sent the initial invitation the last week of March 2021 and the follow-up invitation the first week of April 2021. We also distributed the questionnaire through the selected Facebook groups at the time of initial NAfME invitation. To prevent an individual from completing the questionnaire more than once, Qualtrics settings prevented multiple submissions from a single participant.

Although it is not possible to know how many Facebook users saw our invitation, we know that NAfME sent 3,721 emails during the second distribution. Of those, 2,671 emails were not opened (i.e., emails that were ignored, deleted, and caught by a SPAM filter), 101 were bounced back (e.g., email address was incorrect), and 949 emails were opened.

We distributed our questionnaire using email lists maintained by national organizations and via Facebook groups, an approach recently taken by other researchers conducting survey research (e.g., Ganschow, 2014; Piazza & Talbot, 2021; Rickels & Brewer, 2017; Silvey et al., 2020; Sims & Cassidy, 2019). The difficulty of calculating a response rate from these kinds of distribution procedures is noted by these and other researchers (e.g., Rickels & Brewer, 2017; Silveira & Hudson, 2015; Silvey, 2011; Silvey et al., 2020; Sims & Cassidy, 2019). Specific to our project, NAfME’s email lists changed between the first and second invitations to participate due to new NAfME members, lapsing memberships, or individuals who subscribed or unsubscribed from the listserv between the first and second invitations. In addition, although we requested the questionnaire be sent to individuals working in higher education, NAfME does not verify employment as a condition of membership. Accordingly, it is not possible to know whether or not the people invited to participate actually work in higher education (thus highlighting the importance of screening questions in questionnaires to determine eligibility). These kinds of issues are also true of recruiting from Facebook groups.

For example, while we targeted individuals in teacher education, many who received the questionnaire were not active teacher educators. In response to our first screening question, “During the 2020-2021 academic year, were you a faculty member at an institution of higher education in the United States?,” 107 individuals indicated “Yes,” while 52 indicated “No.” In other words, among the 159 individuals who advanced to the first screening question, 33% did not meet our inclusion criteria (despite targeting higher education Facebook groups and NAfME’s higher education members). Among the 107 individuals who passed the first screening question, an additional 13 did not pass the second screening question, “During the 2020-2021 academic year, did you teach a course aimed at teacher training (e.g., methods coursework, fieldwork, teaching practica, student teaching, teaching labs, etc.)?” This issue makes calculating a meaningful response rate impossible, since many invited to complete the questionnaire were not members of target population. Thus, this study provides evidence for the need for screening questions in conducting survey research and careful consideration of the limitations of using NAfME’s survey distribution service for music teacher educators.

Results

We begin our presentation of results by describing the demographics of our participants so as to help the reader determine the extent to which our findings might be generalizable to the broader music teacher educator community (an approach taken by Sims & Cassidy, 2019; Silvey et al., 2020).

Demographics

A total of 85 participants completed the questionnaire. The age of the participants ranged from 29 to 69 with a mean of 37.29 years (SD = 10.85). Included were 44 participants (51.8%) who identified as men, 40 (47.1%) as women, and one (1.2%) as non-binary. Seventy-five (88.2%) identified as White, five (5.9%) as Black or African American, three (3.5%) indicated multiple races or ethnicities (including Latino/a, Asian, White, American Indian, or Alaska Native), one (1.2%) indicated another race or ethnicity, and one (1.2%) preferred to not respond.

The participants’ years in higher education ranged from 1 to 36 years, with a mean of 11.44 years (SD = 9.38). Thirty-eight participants (44.7%) were assistant professors, 21 (24.7%) were associate professors, 16 (18.8%) were full professors, and 10 (11.8%) were visiting, lecturer, or adjunct professors. The highest degree obtained by the majority of participants was a doctorate (n = 77, 90.6%), while the remaining held master’s (n = 6, 7.1%) or bachelor’s (n = 2, 2.4%) degrees. Forty (47.1%) taught at doctoral universities, 25 (29.4%) taught at master’s colleges or universities, 18 (21.2%) taught at baccalaureate colleges or universities, and two (2.4%) taught at special focus colleges or universities. These universities were located in Southern (n = 26, 30.6%), Eastern (n = 18, 21.2%), North Central (n = 16, 18.8%), Southwestern (n = 14, 16.5%), Western (n = 7, 8.25%), and Northwest (n = 4, 4.7%) regions of the United States. Finally, when asked about their teaching modality in the 2020–2021 academic year, 22 (25.9%) indicated teaching hybrid, in-person, and online; 18 (21.2%) online only; 15 (17.6%) hybrid only; 11 (12.9%) hybrid and in-person; eight (9.4%) hybrid and online; eight (9.4%) in-person and online; and three (3.5%) in-person only.

Question 1: Overall Well-Being and the FS

On average, responses to all FS items were well to the positive end of the scale (possible agreement range from 1 to 7); overall, music teacher educators reported a high degree of well-being. It is important to note, however, that all item responses also exhibited a considerable negative skew, implying that a certain number of individuals were negative outliers who may have been languishing rather than flourishing. The highest rated item was “I lead a purposeful and meaningful life” (M = 6.47 and SD = .87) while the lowest rated item was “My social relationships are supportive and rewarding” (M = 5.89 and SD = 1.36). The composite score (with a possible range of 8 to 56) ranged from 30 to 56 among our participants with a mean score of 49.20 (SD = 6.03). Presented in Table A of the online supplemental Appendix are descriptive statistics for each FS item and the overall composite score.

Question 2: Overall Adaptability and the AS

Similar to FS responses, responses to all AS responses were typically at the positive end of the scale, implying that music teacher educators were highly adaptable in response to various challenges. Responses to adaptability items dealing with emotions tended to exhibit a negative skew, which suggests that some individuals may have had difficulty managing emotional responses to challenge. The highest rated item was “In the classroom, I am able to think through a number of possible options to assist me in a new situation” (M = 6.44 and SD = .59) while the lowest rated item was “To help me through new situations that arise in the classroom, I am able to draw on positive feelings and emotions (e.g., enjoyment, satisfaction)” (M = 5.73 and SD = 1.09). The composite score (with a possible range of 9 to 63) ranged from 42 to 63 among our participants with a mean score of 55.41 (SD = 4.94). Presented in Table B of the online supplemental Appendix are descriptive statistics for each AS item and the overall composite score.

Question 3: Relationships Between Flourishing and Adaptability

To explore the relationships between well-being and adaptability, we began by calculating Spearman correlations between each item on the AS and the composite FS score. We used Spearman correlations because the items were highly skewed and were ordinal-level data. We found significant correlations between the FS composite score and the following AS items: draw on positive feelings and emotions (r_s = .64, p < .001), reduce negative emotions (r_s = .46, p < .001), adjust thinking or expectations (r_s = .40, p < .001), able to change things if necessary (r_s = .35, p = .001), minimize frustration or irritation (r_s = .35, p = .001), revise way of thinking about things (r_s = .33, p = .002), new ways of doing things (r_s = .31, p = .004), and able to seek out new information (r_s = .24, p = .03). There was no significant correlation between able to think through possible options and the composite FS score. In addition, there was a moderate significant correlation between the composite FS score and composite AS score (r_s = .53, p < .001).

We also used multiple linear regression to explore the effect of adaptability on overall well-being (Table 1). Our dependent variable was the composite score from the FS, and the independent variables were each of the items in the AS. Although the outcome variable was skewed, no violations of the assumptions of residual normality, linearity, multicollinearity, and homoscedasticity for the analysis were identified. Given the exploratory nature of the analysis and without a theoretical basis for determining an order for the variables to be included in the model, we employed a simultaneous entry method for the regression as opposed to other possible methods (e.g., stepwise). A significant regression was found, F (8, 76) = 10.04, p < .001, with an R² of .514. The significant predictors of overall well-being were able to seek out new information (β = −.37, p = .003), minimize frustration or irritation (β = −.31, p = .024), and draw on positive feelings and emotions (β = .71, p < .001).

Table 1.

Multiple Linear Regression Analysis of AS Items on FS Composite Score by Significance (n = 84).

Item	B	SE B	β	t	p
Draw on positive feelings and emotions	3.93	.63	.71	6.22	<.001
Able to seek out new information, advice, and resources	−3.42	1.11	−.37	−3.07	.003
Minimize frustration or irritation	−1.99	.87	−.31	−2.30	.024
Able to change things if necessary	2.06	1.02	.25	2.02	.047
Reduce negative emotions	1.09	.79	.16	1.39	.170
Adjust thinking or expectations	1.63	1.32	.18	1.23	.221
Revise way of thinking about things	.31	1.55	.03	.20	.843
New ways of doing things	.54	1.24	.06	.44	.665

Note: F (8, 76) = 10.04, p < .001; R² = .514.

Question 4: Impact of Events of 2020–2021 on Well-Being and Adaptability

We asked participants to provide some additional context surrounding overall well-being and adaptability when teaching due to some of the events occurring during the 2020–2021 academic year. These events included the COVID-19 pandemic, violence against people of color, the U.S. political climate, and environmental catastrophes. We felt these events could have important implications for well-being and adaptability among music teacher educators. Accordingly, we asked participants to rate the impact of these events (from 1 “not at all” to 5 “a great deal”) on both their overall well-being and adaptations to their teacher education courses.

Ranked from highest to lowest impact, participants rated the broader U.S. political climate (M = 3.60 and SD = 1.02), COVID-19 pandemic (M = 3.29 and SD = 1.05), violence against people of color (M = 3.08 and SD = 1.07), and environmental catastrophes (M = 2.49 and SD = 1.14) as impacting their overall well-being. Scores ranged from 1 to 5. When asked about adapting their courses to these events, participants rated the COVID-19 pandemic as having the greatest impact (M = 4.04 and SD = .96), while violence against people of color (M = 2.69 and SD = 1.13), the broader U.S. political climate (M = 2.14 and SD = .95), and environmental catastrophes (M = 1.58 and SD = .89) had less of an impact on teachers adapting their courses. Scores also ranged from 1 to 5.

Using an open response question, we asked participants to identify any additional events that negatively impacted their well-being during the 2020–2021 academic year. Though there were no consistent statements regarding the impact on their overall well-being, some participants expressed that they felt overworked by additional teaching responsibilities, meetings, and a constantly changing teaching climate. Most participants noted that the extensive use of technology was a new teaching practice for them, as the pandemic necessitated the use of online teaching platforms and tools. Some participants also highlighted an increased focus on social justice or diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, as both the pandemic itself and the events of 2020–2021 highlighted inequities that they felt needed to be addressed in their classrooms. Interestingly, this seems to conflict with the relative importance participants placed on such issues in adapting their courses in the Likert-type questions.

Discussion

The primary purpose of this survey study was to explore the relationship between well-being (Diener et al., 2010) and adaptability (Collie & Martin, 2016; Martin et al., 2012) among music teacher educators in the United States. This study was intended as an initial overview, as potential relationships between these constructs have not been explored in the field of music teacher education. Data for this study were collected from 85 music teacher educators in the United States. We sought to measure our participants’ overall well-being, their adaptability while teaching, and the relationship between these constructs.

Despite the numerous challenges during the 2020–2021 academic year, our participants’ well-being was relatively positive overall as measured by the FS. Although the creators suggest some caution when interpreting individual elements of the FS, our participants seemed to be doing particularly well as rated by items such as purposeful and meaningful life, competent in activities, and good person and good life. In contrast, items like relationships are supportive and rewarding and people respect me were generally rated lower by our participants. While direct comparisons cannot be made, the majority of participants in our study seemed to be flourishing more so than music teachers studied during a similar period by Miksza and colleagues (2021). This is perhaps due to the challenging environment and greater job demands (e.g., accountability measures, high stakes testing, the number of students seen daily, among others) faced by K-12 educators that are not typical of higher education environments.

Consistent with prior findings of adaptability among teachers (Collie & Martin, 2017), our participants also rated themselves as relatively adaptable in the classroom. Among the nine items on the measure, items related to considering alternative options for their work were rated the highest, while items related to emotional regulation were rated the lowest. Our analysis also suggests there was a positive moderate relationship between adaptability and well-being. Furthermore, while draw on positive feelings and emotions was the lowest ranked item on the FS scale, it was the most significant predictor of well-being. Taken together, our results suggest that further explorations of adaptability in teaching and teacher well-being are warranted.

Our findings highlight important relationships between well-being and adaptability. There were significant correlations between the composite FS score and several AS items, including items related to considering alternative options for their work and items related to emotional regulation. Furthermore, the multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that draw on positive feelings and emotions in particular was a significant predictor of well-being.

We believe these findings suggest an important relationship between adaptability and well-being. Collie and Martin (2017) found that teachers who were more adaptable also experienced greater well-being and organizational commitment. While we did not explore organizational commitment in this study, Collie and Martin (2017) suggest that perhaps by being adaptable, teachers are able to better meet the demands of their work (Collie & Martin, 2017; Van den Broeck et al., 2013) and this workplace success may lead to greater well-being. This finding, coupled with our own findings, may suggest that adaptability is a related and important metric for understanding teachers’ positive psychological functioning.

Limitations

We recognize that participants in our study may differ from those who did not participate. For example, perhaps music teacher educators with higher well-being are more likely to engage with social media or seek membership with an organization like NAfME. Alternatively, participants who received an invitation but were diminished in their well-being may have been less likely to participate in the study. Because we used a non-probabilistic sampling procedure, our results may not be fully representative of music teacher educators who are NAfME members or Facebook users. Moreover, our results cannot be generalized to all music teacher educators within the United States.

Future Research

We suggest several directions for future research. For example, researchers might examine whether differences in well-being, adaptability, or the relationship between these constructs vary by work status and conditions. Given that the relationships are supportive and rewarding item was rated relatively low, researchers might explore social support through relationships by professor rank, as assistant professors and contract faculty may be struggling socially under the pressure of uncertain work conditions or meeting tenure requirements. Investigating well-being and adaptability in relation to job stability may provide important insights for supporting early career and contract faculty. In addition, topics related to professional well-being and adaptability might be incorporated into music teacher preparation and doctoral music teacher educator programs to better prepare professionals for the realities of the field.

Given the broad exploratory nature of the study, we did not explore well-being or adaptability across any demographic variable. However, we believe that explorations of well-being and/or adaptability among music teacher educators across various demographic variables are warranted. For example, might well-being vary by demographic variables included in this study (e.g., gender, age, rank, teaching modality, race, and location) or additional variables not included in this study (e.g., sexual identity, disability status, teaching load, familial status, health, and parental status)? Reseachers might explore these questions more directly. Researchers interested in well-being, particularly those interested in creating measures of well-being, may be advised to explore adaptability as a function of well-being. In addition, we wonder if other measures of well-being, particularly traditional measures not informed by the tenants of positive psychology (e.g., measures of depression, and anxiety), might yield importantly different conclusions than those described in the present study.

Supplemental Material

sj-docx-1-jmt-10.1177_10570837221120762 – Supplemental material for Relationships Between Well-Being and Teaching Adaptability Among Music Teacher Educators: A Snapshot of the 2020–2021 Academic Year

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jmt-10.1177_10570837221120762 for Relationships Between Well-Being and Teaching Adaptability Among Music Teacher Educators: A Snapshot of the 2020–2021 Academic Year by Nicholas E. Roseth and Jennifer Blackwell in Journal of Music Teacher Education

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

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

Funding

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

ORCID iDs

Nicholas E. Roseth

Jennifer Blackwell

Supplemental Material

Supplemental material for this article is available online.

Author Biographies

Nicholas E. Roseth is visiting assistant professor and coordinator of music education at Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA). His primary research interests include LGBTQ studies, well-being, place and space, and non-verbal behaviors in teaching and learning.

Jennifer Blackwell is assistant professor of music education at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music. Her research interests include applied music teaching expertise (from behavioral, cognitive, social, cultural, and affective perspectives), music performance expertise, popular music pedagogy, applications of authentic context learning paradigms, feedback in music contexts, and music teacher training.

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