Music Teachers’ Experiences of a Statewide Music Professional Development Conference

• 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

This study traced music teachers’ sensemaking during and after a statewide music conference to describe how/why these teachers derived usefulness and implemented ideas/strategies in their classrooms. Usefulness was influenced by alignment with curricular and student/teacher needs, perceived credibility of presenter, social interactions, and use of materials. Classroom use emerged from perceptions of students’ musical and/or socioemotional needs, preexisting teacher dispositions, and curricular alignment. Much uptake and use emerged spontaneously as it related to perceptions of student maturity (musical and emotional), curricular materials, time of day/school year, and similarity to other teaching practices already in use. Findings from this study illustrate how/why experiences at statewide PD conferences are unique and unpredictable and question some of the core tenets of effective PD frameworks.

Author

• Daniel Taylor, Vanderbilt University