Being the Change: Music Teachers’ Self-Reported Changes in Mindset and Practice

Abstract

Music educators sometimes enter the workforce un(der)prepared to design and implement inclusive instruction. The purpose of this descriptive interview study was to explore practicing teachers’ self-reported changes in mindset and practice as they worked to become more inclusive. Participants ( N = 20) were music educators with between 1 and 17 years of teaching experience. All participants taught some combination of preK–12 students in general music, choir, band, orchestra, jazz, and other music classes in 10 states. We present qualitative analysis from two sets of interviews concerning self-reported changes in mindsets and teaching practices. We conclude with implications of this study for practicing teachers who wish to enact more equitable and just classroom practices.

Inclusion and Pedagogical Support for Students with Special Educational Needs in Music Lessons: A Systematic Review

“…Two studies (Perry, 2022;Rozsics, 2010) were left out since they were inaccessible. Total of 19 studies (Altun & Eyüpoğlu, 2018;Bremmer et al, 2021;INCLUSIVE MUSIC EDUCATION REVIEW Preprint v1 | 180624 Draper, 2022;Draper, 2017;Draper et al, 2019;Majerus & Taylor, 2020;Monk et al, 2013;Pino, 2022;Salvador, 2015;Salvador et al, 2020;Smith, 2018;Sutela et al, 2020;VanWeelden & Whipple, 2014;Whipple & VanWeelden, 2012;Wilde & Welch, 2022;Wong, 2021;Wong & Chik, 2015, 2016aWong & Chik, 2016b) were included in the extraction phase (see Table 1).…”

“…Teacher training was seen as a central part of achieving understanding and knowledge towards inclusive practices. In Salvador's et al (2020) study, teachers took a graduate-level course to adopt more inclusive mindsets and practices. In Pino's study (2022), the focus was on in-service teacher training.…”

“…The student-centered approach was seen as a core matter when teaching students with SEN. Salvador et al (2020) pointed out valuing the individual students and shifting from the teacher and subject-centered teaching style toward a student-centered approach. Altun and Eyüpoğlu (2018) noted that teaching music to the student's level INCLUSIVE MUSIC EDUCATION REVIEW Preprint v1 | 180624 would be beneficial.…”

Sustaining the Flame: (Re)Igniting Joy in Teaching Music

“…Over the last few years, I've been researching vulnerability and perfectionism with graduate students who are practicing music teachers. 26 About a year into my recovery, I taught practicing teachers in a graduate course that required them to define their beliefs and values about music education and to consider how well these aligned with their practices. This was an emotionally intense experience for most people in the class, in part because many of them identified as "an overachiever."…”

“…These observations led me to explore vulnerability and perfectionism with practicing music teachers. 6 In this article, I share some of my own story as well as vignettes from practicing teachers, and because of that, I have deliberately opted for a more personal tone than is traditional in Music Educators Journal. While I am not a medical professional, materials in this article are drawn from research literature, my research on this topic with practicing teachers, and my experiences in therapy.…”