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Susan M. Tarnowski is professor of music and vice president for academic affairs at the
College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN, and Vanissa B. Murphy is professor of music and
coordinator of music education in the Department of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Eau
Claire.
In the midst of the current national teacher shortage, as student populations grow and music
teachers retire or leave the profession, teacher recruitment, retention, retraining, and
revitalization consistently emerge as significant topics of concern for music educators and
administrators. Indeed, recruitment, retention, and the professional development of teachers are
strategic directions articulated by the National Association for Music Education (MENC, 2000).
There are many sound reasons for these areas to be seen as critical to the future of music
education (George, 2000, p. 2). Music education research in these areas should therefore
illuminate the reasons students choose music teaching as a career and experienced teachers
continue to teach, and identify those professional development activities that lead to retraining
and revitalization. Recruitment is viewed as a vehicle that can address our present and upcoming
music teacher shortages (Charting The Baby Boom Echo, 1998; Clayton, 2001; Hinckley,
2000; Hudson, 2000; Kimball, 2000; Wilcox, 2000). In the area of retention, there is an
expressed need for providing new teachers with positive administrative support (Krueger, 2000),
for mentoring new teachers (Conway, 2001; Krueger, 1999; Rammer, 2000; Richardson, 1992;
Smith & Haack, 2000; Stern & Cox, 1993), and for preventing teacher burnout and attrition
(Hamann & Gordon, 2000; Heston, 1996; Lee, 1991; Metzke, 1988; Promoting the Profession,
2001). Writings relating the need for professional development, also referred to as continuing
education, generally are categorized in two overlapping areas: (1) retraining (Bowles, 2000;
Shuler, 1995; Time for Professional Development, 1994) and (2) revitalization (Scott-Kassner
& Kassner, 2001; Smith & Haack, 2000; Zemelman, Daniels, & Hyde 2001).
There is a growing need for research that addresses teacher recruitment, retention, retraining,
and revitalization. By the year 2008, 2 million new teachers will be needed in the United States
(U.S. Department of Education, 2000). It is estimated that the United States will need 123,500
music teachers for the 20072008 school year (Charting the Baby Boom Echo, 1998). Wilcox
(2000) reported that an increase in student population, upcoming retirements, and an insufficient
number of music education majors have contributed to a shortage of qualified music teachers
across the country. To further articulate, 33 states have indicated music teacher shortages
(Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2000). A recent survey by MENC (Topics of
Concern to MENC State Leaders, 1999) reported that state leaders in music education placed
the teacher shortage as third in their rankings of areas of concern. To illustrate, emergency
licensee data in the state of Wisconsin, which are similar to national trends in supply and
demand of educational personnel (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, p. 4), showed
serious shortages of licensed teachers in a number of areas (p. 23). In the area of music, there
were 56 emergency licenses issued in Wisconsin for 19992000 (ibid.). Statistics such as these
Sample
The sample for this study was composed of elementary music teachers from Wisconsin and
Minnesota. Subjects were selected from the lists of members in the Wisconsin Music Educators
Association (WMEA) and the Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA). The
researchers requested a random selection of 33% of the total enrollments of elementary music
educators in the Music Educators Associations from both states (N = approximately 2500.) A
total of 816 surveys were sent, and each of the subjects received a second mailing reminding him
or her to return the survey or request a duplicate copy.
Survey
The survey was divided into three parts: the first set of six questions requested information
that would be used to construct a profile of the respondent, the second part asked participants to
rank reasons for initially entering the field of elementary music teaching and for remaining in the
profession as a career, and the third section requested responses concerning the participants
retraining and revitalization activities. The survey was developed and field-tested with a small
group of local elementary music teachers. As a result of suggestions by the teachers, revisions
were made to the survey. See Table 1 for the text used in the survey instrument. Of the 816
surveys that were mailed, 281 were returned for a return rate of 34.44%. Frequencies were
tabulated in a spreadsheet, and percentages were calculated for the data.
Results
Respondent profile. The survey shows that the respondents (N=281) had taught for an average
of 14.9 years and were most likely to have a Bachelors degree with additional credits (47.69 %),
a Masters degree with additional credits (28.89 %), or a Masters degree with no additional
credits (12.81%). Only 25.62% had taught in exclusively elementary music situations during
their careers; the most frequent additional level was middle school (58.36%). Over half of the
respondents (65.84%) reported traveling between schools as part of their teaching day, and
I. PROFILE INFORMATION
Please circle/fill in the appropriate response.
4. Do you travel from one school to another as part of your teaching day?
Yes
No
6. Since you earned your teaching certificate, have you worked in a non-educational setting?
Yes
No
If yes, explain ________________
II. RECRUITMENT/RETENTION
7. Which of the following are the initial reasons you chose to go into the teaching of elementary music?
Please rank these reasons in order of importance to you (1 = most important)
____ like working with children
____ like working with music as a subject area
____ like teaching multiple levels (K9 or K12)
____ like school colleagues
____ like the financial security
____ feel that school administration is supportive of my efforts
____ other _______________________
8. Which of the following are the reasons you continue to teach elementary music?
Please rank these reasons in order of importance to you (1 = most important)
____ like working with children
____ like working with music as a subject area
____ like teaching multiple levels (K9 or K12)
____ like school colleagues
____ like the financial security
____ feel that school administration is supportive of my efforts
____ other _________________________________________
III. RETRAINING/REVITALIZATION
Please circle the appropriate response.
10. In which of the following approaches have you retrained to stay motivated as you continue to teach?
Orff
Kodly
Dalcroze
Gordon
Other ________________________
11. Which of the following new areas of emphasis have you incorporated into your teaching?
technology for teaching music
an interdisciplinary approach
a World Music approach
a standards-based approach
new music assessment techniques
involvement with student teachers or
preservice or practicum teachers
other __________________________
12. In which of the following professional development activities would you participate in the future?
Orff
Kodly
Dalcroze
Teaching with technology
Teaching with an interdisciplinary approach
Teaching with a World Music approach
Standards-based teaching
Assessment in music
Other _______________________
Number Percentage
Reasons selected as 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Entering the field Remaining in the
choices field
Number % Number %
Love working with music as subject 278 34.75 261 32.70
material
Love working with children 267 33.38 257 32.20
Like being able to teach at multiple levels 111 13.88 89 11.15
Financial security 64 8.00 84 10.54
Like school colleagues 41 5.12 59 7.39
Feel that school administration is 14 1.75 36 4.51
supportive of my efforts
Other 25 3.12 12 1.51
TOTAL 800* 100.00 798** 100.00
*Although total possible responses = 840 (280x3), only 800* or 798** responses were
given. Some respondents ranked only their first and second choices.
Retraining and revitalization. A vast majority of the survey participants (97.50%) reported
choosing to participate in professional development activities. Retraining in the approaches of
Orff and Kodly is cited most frequently by respondents; more than half of the respondents have
some level of retraining in these two areas. By contrast, only a fourth of the respondents had
experiences with the Dalcroze approach. Narrative responses were solicited if the respondent
marked the other category. These additional retraining activities included training in
Comprehensive Music through Performance (CMP), dance and movement, keyboard labs and
MIDI, Boardmans Generative approach, Hunters approach, adaptive music, brain-based and
inquiry-based classrooms, Education Through Music (ETM), and an American Indian
curriculum. More than half of the responding teachers reported incorporating the following new
areas of emphasis into their teaching: a standard-based approach, an interdisciplinary approach, a
World Musics approach, and an approach using technology for teaching music. Just under half of
the respondents reported incorporating music assessment techniques into their teaching.
Narrative responses indicate that theatre programs, learning centers, the Wisconsin or Minnesota
Listening Contests materials, voice and choral work, adaptive music, and music therapy
activities are also being undertaken. More than half of the survey respondents indicated an
interest in pursuing professional development activities in the future in the areas of the Orff
UPDATE, Fall-Winter 2003, 23
approach, teaching with technology, assessment in music, and music standards-based teaching.
Just under half indicated an interest in further professional development in the Kodly approach,
a World Musics approach, and an interdisciplinary approach. See Table 4 for specific details on
retraining and revitalization.
Number Percentage*
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