Music Teaching Style Ideas and Implications

Abstract

looks at dimensions of music teaching style and at how teachers can understand and adjust their style to balance personal, curricular, and student needs. * A A S T he term "teaching style" has been used by educators to mean a number of things, such as specific, effective teaching behaviors, traits related to personality, ways of matching student learning styles, and the interpersonal skills of a teacher. Which is it? The answer is that teaching style is not just one thing, but rather several things that function collectively. In other words, it is not individual aspects of teaching considered in isolation but the entire pattern of teaching considered at once that reveals teaching style.Any aspect of teaching viewed singularly, or microscopically, does not reveal teaching style-considering the meaning beyond those teaching behaviors is essential. Music teaching style can only be defined by viewing teaching macroscopically and gleaning new information at that level. "Teaching style" and "teaching behaviors" are not interchangeable terms. Teaching behaviors are chosen to meet changing needs from situation to situation and from rehearsal to rehearsal. In contrast, teaching style is pervasive and ingrained in the teacher's approach and drives the conscious decision making toward consistent patterns of instruction. It is founded in relatively stable characteristics, such as personality, learning Alan J. Gumm is professor of music education at Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York. "Teaching style" and "teaching behaviors"are not interchangeable terms. style, background, and philosophical beliefs. Decisions of what and how to teach, therefore-in a broad sense-do not change drastically over time.To adapt to new directions or advance to new heights in this profession, change must be sought at the style level and not at the behavioral level. Common discussions with music teachers depict the stable and macroscopic notions of music teaching style. Music teachers, when asked where they learned their successful techniques, often answer that they borrowed them from many sources based on how the techniques suited their overall goals in teaching music. In other words, the specific techniques used were less important than the personal goals that led to the use of those techniques. This indicates that new techniques did not change music teaching style, but rather were adapted into it. There is something in every person's way of teaching that goes beyond the specific teaching behaviors they use-it is their music teaching style.Though music teachers may be aware of the specific teaching behaviors they use moment to moment, they may not be directly conscious of how their music teaching styles function in the rehearsal. They may also be unaware of alternatives to their styles. Without an understanding of music teaching style, teachers will not make decisions as purposively as they could.Examining both the dimensions of music teaching style and the possible music teaching styles within the profession can lead to a macroscopic view. The dim...

Research-to-Resource: Confronting and Overcoming Music Teacher Burnout

“…Common examples include lack of support or recognition by school leaders (Hamann et al, 1987), burdensome workloads and class scheduling conflicts (Heston et al, 1996), inadequate compensation (Scheib, 2004), and lack of agency/decision-making power (Hamann & Gordon, 2000). Researchers reported burnout also stems from challenges specific to music teaching, such as classroom management issues (Gumm & McLain, 2013), large enrollments inherent to ensemble instruction (Gordon, 2000), and clashing curricular ideologies (Hamann et al, 1987; Scheib, 2006). Music teachers who perceive gaps in their pedagogical knowledge or who otherwise feel unprepared for their teaching assignment often experience a greater degree of burnout (Ballantyne & Retell, 2020; Gordon, 2000).…”

“…Older, more experienced music educators were found to be less prone to burnout (Bernhard, 2006; Hamann, 1986), especially if they spent seven years or more on the job (Hedden, 2005). Gumm and McLain (2013) discovered that teachers with noncontrolling, student-centered teaching styles reported lower burnout. Çevik Kiliç (2018) found that music teachers who were more extroverted, conscientious, agreeable, and open were less susceptible to burnout, and those who were more neurotic, anxious, impatient, or pessimistic were increasingly susceptible.…”

“…Keep students and the joy of learning in the foreground. Develop a positive learning environment and use student-centered teaching approaches, which Gumm and McLain (2013) found to be associated with reduced music teacher burnout. Take time to reflect and take stock of blessings and successes.…”

Concept Teaching in Instrumental Music Education

“…However, when sampling across a wider range of directors, findings appeared less consistent. In an earlier stage of the same study, Bazan administered a self-reported survey involving 49 middle school band directors from Ohio using a revised version of Gumm’s (2004) Music Teaching Style Inventory. Cronbach’s alpha for the Music Teaching Style Inventory was .80, indicating the inventory items were internally consistent.…”

Variation in the Ways that Instrumental and Vocal Students Experience Learning Music

“…Consequently research is usually directed at the auditory level, with performance being the product and evidence of learning (Abeles, Gof & Levasseur, 1992;Gillespie, 1991;Gumm, 1994). For instance, evaluation of the musical product or performance is often used to create assumptions about the effectiveness and extent of teaching or learning.…”