By Undergrads, for Undergrads: Motivations, Perceptions, and Processes Behind Peer-Curated Professional Development Sessions

• In Event: Investigations of Undergraduate Music Teacher Education

Abstract

Preservice music teachers (PMTs) are a popular and important group to study (e.g., Conway, 2023). However, the motivations, perspectives, and processes through which preservice music teachers curate professional development (PD) experiences for peers remain un(der)explored. Using an ethnographic case study design, I explored values and priorities expressed by student leaders of an undergraduate organization as they worked to plan and create meaningful PD opportunities within their PMT community. Data sources included written reflections, transcripts from group and individual interviews, and fieldnotes from my experiences as a participant-observer. Findings highlighted PMTs’ desires for structure and guidance in “autonomous” extracurricular learning spaces and the importance of considering and reconsidering hierarchies in music education and music teacher education.

Author

• Amy Sierzega, University of New Hampshire