Toward Responsive Professional Development for Singapore Primary Music Teachers: Exploring the Landscape

• In Event: Roundtable Session 52
  In Roundtable Session: Music Education SIG. Music Education: Professional Development and Implications

Abstract

Singapore’s primary school music teachers have different levels of prior training in music education, ranging from no prior training to majors in music education. Given that the literature reiterates the need for teacher professional development (PD) to be “responsive,” this study investigates the motivations, needs, priorities, and preferences of music teachers with diverse levels of training. We ran a nationwide survey with 286 participants. Results show that teachers with different training have district motivation levels, different needs and priorities for further training, and different preferences regarding PD providers and medium of instruction. These findings have potential to guide the design of responsive music-specific PD within the Singapore context, and enrich the international PD literature with data from the music domain.

Authors

• Alfredo Bautista, Nanyang Technological University

• Guo Zheng Toh, Nanyang Technological University - National Institute of Education

• Joanne Wong, Nanyang Technological University - National Institute of Education