Abstract
Traditional music education students are often required to choose a specific curricular emphasis or track of study within their degree program. These specializations, based upon the student’s major instrument, include choral, general, and instrumental music. Although there is general training and coursework beyond a student’s area of specialty in the undergraduate music education curriculum, the majority of music performance and music education experiences are within the student’s track. Upon graduating from an accredited college or university, however, music education graduates who earn a Florida teaching certificate are endorsed to teach all areas of music from kindergarten to twelfth grade. It is possible secondary music teachers could be assigned to teach choral, general, and instrumental music classes. As a result, these individuals could conceivably be teaching classes in areas outside of their elected expertise. The lack of quantitative data concerning the status of music educators’ preservice training relative to their current teaching assignments in the state of Florida facilitated the need for an investigation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate Florida high school music teachers’ preservice training and determine the percentage of these educators who were currently teaching outside of “track” or area of specialization. Further, differences between the numbers of high school music teachers teaching inside and outside of their track(s) with their school’s size, students’ socioeconomic status, and geographic location were explored.
Participants (N = 232) completed a survey instrument consisting of four sections: (1) Demographic Data, (2) Professional Responsibilities, (3) Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework, and (4) Additional Information. Analyses of responses found that most (83.1%) of the participants indicated a performance-oriented music education track of study in choral and/or instrumental music and a majority (64.6%) of the participants were teaching at least one class outside of their track on a weekly basis. A majority (85.7%) of beginning teachers were teaching at least one class outside of track while a minority (35.5%) of veteran teachers taught out of track classes. Results also indicated that general track participants reported fewer methods classes and relevant curricular offerings in their area than their choral and instrumental counterparts. Significant differences were found between inside and outside track teachers in 3A and 6A school size categories, suburban and urban geographic locations, and socioeconomic status schools with 0-20%, 41-60%, and 81-100% of students receiving free and reduced meals. The other comparisons between inside and outside track teachers and the schools at which they were teaching revealed no significant differences. Consequently, teacher experience levels and track(s) of expertise were more likely to indicate inside or outside of track teaching status than individual school characteristics.
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