Preservice Music Teacher Occupational Identity Development in an Early Field Teaching Experience

• In Event: 67.049 - Preservice and Early Career Music Educators

Abstract

Preservice music teacher occupational identity development is a complex phenomenon. Preservice teachers may experience dissonance between and/or integration of their musician and teacher identities, and scholars have found authentic early field experiences to be important in occupational identity development (e.g., Froehlich & L’Roy, 1985; Draves, 2014; Powell, 2011). The purpose of this study was to examine the occupational socialization and identity development of preservice music teachers in an early field teaching experience with a focus on preservice teacher and K–12 student interactions. Themes coalesced around (1) preservice participants’ dynamic connections between music student, performer, and teacher identities, (2) participants’ states of becoming music teachers and students together, and (3) moments of music teacher and student role embodiment.

Author

• Olivia Tucker, University of New Mexico