"To Get What I Need": The Social Networks of Music Teachers at Different Career Stages

• In Event: 51.081 - Sheraton Roundtable Session Nine - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 51.081-6 - Music Teacher Development Across the Career Span

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the social networks of three instrumental music teachers in a Midwestern school district. Specifically, I sought to understand professional and expressive networks and how they differed by career stage. The study used a qualitative ego network approach to study the ties of three secondary instrumental music teachers in the same district (novice, mid-career, experienced). Data sources included structured name-generating questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Findings suggest that music teachers seek out similarly situated peers for instructional help, ignoring those who teach other subjects in their school. Networks change over the career, with experienced teachers giving more advice than they seek. Implications are offered for researchers in this underdeveloped line of inquiry.

Author

• Ryan David Shaw, Michigan State University