Teaching teachers: Methods and experiences used in educating doctoral students to prepare preservice music educators

Abstract

This investigation addressed methods and experiences used to educate doctoral music education students to work as university college professors. Selected faculty representing every institution offering a Ph.D. in music education in the United States and Canada ( N = 46) were sent an online questionnaire concerning (1) the extent respondents believed doctoral music education students should perform student/class observations, teach music education classes, supervise field-teaching experiences, participate in teacher-related activities, and participate in scholarly activities; and (2) whether respondents’ institutions had doctoral music education students perform student/class observations, teach music education classes, supervise field/student teaching experiences, participate in teacher-related activities, and participate in scholarly activities. Respondents strongly believed music education doctoral students should observe and assist in undergraduate classes, supervise field-teaching experiences, and conduct scholarly activities. Respondents placed less value on students interacting with public school teachers, teaching graduate music education courses, and participating in school/college committees. Respondents indicated their institutions did have students perform student/class observations, teach music education classes, supervise field-teaching experiences, participate in teacher-related activities, and participate in scholarly activities. However, interactions with public school teachers, teaching a graduate class, and participating in school/college committees were performed less.

Impostor Phenomenon Responses of Early Career Music Education Faculty

“…Undergraduate teaching often gets practiced in graduate school, where many doctoral candidates hold graduate teaching assistantships, and music education doctoral students have been found to be “confident in their ability to effectively train and mentor future K–12 music teachers” (Martin, 2016, p. 21). Doctoral students rarely gain substantial and consistent experience teaching graduate coursework, given credential constraints and requirements of graduate faculty status at most universities (Conway et al, 2016; Kelly & VanWeelden, 2016). Thus, lack of experience likely explains why these early career faculty members would be less secure in teaching graduate courses.…”

“…Authors have raised questions and concerns about doctoral students’ preparation for various aspects of jobs as a music education professor (Conway, Palmer, Edgar, & Hansen, 2016; Kelly & VanWeelden, 2016). Responses to a survey of faculty who prepared doctoral music education students (Kelly & VanWeelden, 2016) indicated that it was important for doctoral students to observe and assist in undergraduate music education methods classes and student teaching, as well as to conduct their own research, present a poster, and present research at a conference, and that doctoral students had these experiences in almost all of the degree programs represented in the study. Experience with teaching “all or some of a graduate music education” class ranked among the least important and was experienced the least among all other activities except serving on school and college committees (Kelly & VanWeelden, 2016).…”

“…Responses to a survey of faculty who prepared doctoral music education students (Kelly & VanWeelden, 2016) indicated that it was important for doctoral students to observe and assist in undergraduate music education methods classes and student teaching, as well as to conduct their own research, present a poster, and present research at a conference, and that doctoral students had these experiences in almost all of the degree programs represented in the study. Experience with teaching “all or some of a graduate music education” class ranked among the least important and was experienced the least among all other activities except serving on school and college committees (Kelly & VanWeelden, 2016). Teaching graduate classes is an academic responsibility that doctoral students may not be or feel prepared for, and intentionally including this preparation into the curriculum has been recommended (Conway et al, 2016; Kelly & VanWeelden, 2016).…”

“…Experience with teaching “all or some of a graduate music education” class ranked among the least important and was experienced the least among all other activities except serving on school and college committees (Kelly & VanWeelden, 2016). Teaching graduate classes is an academic responsibility that doctoral students may not be or feel prepared for, and intentionally including this preparation into the curriculum has been recommended (Conway et al, 2016; Kelly & VanWeelden, 2016).…”

“…Respondents viewed opportunities such as making an oral research presentation, attending and presenting a poster at a national conference, choosing a research question for study, and writing a literature review as the most valuable experiences in the preparation of future university faculty members. It appears that the value of these experiences is reflected in coursework, as indicated by the results of a review of the literature by Kelly and VanWeelden (2016), who concluded, "Doctoral program curricula for educating music teacher educators varied widely and emphasized research and music education philosophy" (p. 3).…”