Preschool Classroom Teachers' Perceptions of Useful Music Skills and Understandings

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to identify the music skills and understanding taught during preservice training that in-service preschool classroom teachers perceived, as practical and beneficial. A 31-item questionnaire was developed and mailed to directors of 89 public and. private preschool programs where music specialists were not used. The mailing resulted in a return of 210 individually returned forms, representing 66% of the total mailing. Results demonstrated that the teacher skills and. understandings that were considered most useful were those that provided students with direct music experiences. These skills, which teachers learned in preservice training, included movement activities, using rhythm instruments, and singing experiences. More traditional music skills and understandings, such as those taught in courses such as music theory and. history, were not perceived to be useful to preschool instructors. Descriptive information revealed that although most teachers held a college degree and a teaching certificate, the majority were unaware of and none had read the Performance Standards for Music: Grades PreK-12.