Impact of an Online Music Professional Development on Kindergarten Teachers’ Practices: Implementation Fidelity and Teachers’ Perspectives

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 1:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Research on Professional Development in Music Education (Table 5)

Abstract

Few studies have analyzed the effectiveness of online music professional development (OMPD) on teachers’ pedagogical competencies. We focused on implementation fidelity to evaluate the effectiveness of an OMPD that trained kindergarten teachers in a music-and-movement intervention. Teachers’ perspectives were also investigated to explore the factors that facilitated their learning. After training 83 Hong Kong kindergarten teachers online, we observed all Kindergarten 2 teachers (N = 9) implementing the intervention. Findings from an implementation fidelity checklist revealed high fidelity, with high ratings from teachers and observers. Interviews revealed that school support, practice, and pre-class preparation were the top facilitating factors mentioned by teachers. This study highlighted the potential of OMPD in equipping teachers with innovative competencies to support children’s development.

Authors

• Yiying Million Wan, The Education University of Hong Kong

• Siu-Ping Ng, The Education University of Hong Kong

• Yingying Pan, The Education University of Hong Kong

• Alfredo Bautista, The Education University of Hong kong