Inside and Outside the Undergraduate Music Education Curriculum

Abstract

This study examined the perceived requisite skills and understandings needed for a successful student teaching experience. Six instrumental music student teachers served as participants. Findings included that students perceived curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular music teaching and non- music teaching experiences to be valuable prior to student teaching. Valuable curricular and co-curricular (e.g. fieldwork) skills included: (a) administrative skills; (b) classroom management skills; (c) musicianship skills; and (d) content and pedagogical knowledge. The participants reported that not only did they acquire these skills from coursework, applied lessons, and ensemble participation, but also experiences outside of their curricular requirements (e.g., skills relating to work ethic, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills). The researchers compared these results to the forms of Ethical and Intellectual Development (Perry, 1968/1999) and determined that preservice music teachers' perceptions of the importance of acquired skills prior to student teaching may depend on their intellectual development.