Introduction
The transition from being a preservice teacher in a teacher preparation programme to an in-service teacher in a classroom setting has been an important topic in educational research in recent decades (Abrahams, Reference ABRAHAMS2009; Huberman, Reference HUBERMAN1989). Teachers often experience ‘reality shock’ (Avalos, Reference AVALOS, Loughran and Hamilton2016) or ‘praxis shock’ (Ballantyne, Reference BALLANTYNE2006; Mark, Reference MARK1998) due to discrepancies between their expectations of teaching and the actual practice. This reality shock may adversely affect their professional identity (Gao, Reference GAO2023) and cause emotional exhaustion and stress (Ballantyne, Reference BALLANTYNE2006; Dicke et al., Reference DICKE, ELLING, SCHMECK and LEUTNER2015). Therefore, it is essential to devise strategies to better prepare preservice teachers for actual work settings.
One way to reduce this gap between expectations and reality for preservice teachers is to examine the strengths and weaknesses of teacher preparation programmes. Preservice teacher preparation programmes are critical for ensuring teacher quality (Ballantyne & Packer, Reference BALLANTYNE and PACKER2004; Goodnough et al., Reference GOODNOUGH, FALKENBERG and MACDONALD2016). The beginning of a teacher’s educational journey, known as preservice teacher preparation, is crucial because it establishes the groundwork for a professional mindset and equips teachers with the skills necessary for facilitating meaningful classroom learning experiences (Caena, Reference CAENA2014). In addition, preservice teachers can engage with teaching staff, non-teaching staff, and fellow students and gain practical teaching experience through field placements and teaching practicums (Ballantyne et al., Reference BALLANTYNE, KERCHNER and AROSTEGUI2012). Thus, it is important to ensure the effectiveness of teacher education programmes in preparing teachers.
A potentially effective approach to evaluating the success of teacher preparation programmes is to explore the perspectives of recent graduates. During the early years of teachers’ careers, they tend to construct their teaching attitudes and beliefs while realising whether their education programmes have prepared them to handle the realities of teaching (Legette, Reference LEGETTE2013; Legette & McCord, Reference LEGETTE and MCCORD2014). Thus, preservice teacher preparation programmes should consider teachers’ needs, motivations, and challenges (Ballantyne & Packer, Reference BALLANTYNE and PACKER2004).
Researchers have investigated the effectiveness of music teacher preparation programmes based on the perspectives of experienced and preservice music teachers. In existing studies, experienced music teachers mentioned that the most helpful elements of their preparation programmes were fieldwork (Groulx, Reference GROULX2016), student teaching (Brophy, Reference BROPHY2002; Conway, Reference CONWAY2002), and contextualised courses (Meng & Goopy, Reference MENG and GOOPY2023), whereas the least helpful element was a disconnection between theory and practice (Ballantyne, Reference BALLANTYNE2006; Legette, Reference LEGETTE2013; Roulston et al., Reference ROULSTON, LEGETTE and WOMAK2005). Moreover, these teachers desired a broader curriculum to better prepare themselves for careers outside of their specialisation (Ballantyne & Packer, Reference BALLANTYNE and PACKER2004; Groulx, Reference GROULX2016; Kugelman, Reference KUGELMAN2021; Shin, Reference SHIN2021).
Studies on preservice music teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of their teacher education programmes revealed that they valued field experience and student teaching (Schmidt, Reference SCHMIDT2010), hands-on experience (Legette & McCord, Reference LEGETTE and MCCORD2014), and methods classes (Hourigan & Scheib, Reference HOURIGAN and SCHEIB2009). Furthermore, they expressed a need for the curriculum to link courses to practice (Abrahams, Reference ABRAHAMS2009; Legette & McCord, Reference LEGETTE and MCCORD2014), provide education on classroom management and selecting suitable teaching materials (Legette & McCord, Reference LEGETTE and MCCORD2014), and offer piano skills and conducting experience (Abrahams, Reference ABRAHAMS2009).
However, few studies have investigated the perceptions of beginning music teachers in Asian countries regarding their preparedness due to these programmes. Recently, Meng & Goopy (Reference MENG and GOOPY2023) focused on Chinese music teachers’ perspectives on their education. In a similar vein, the current study attempts to examine South Korean music teachers’ perceptions of music teacher preparation programmes.
Specifically, this study examines the perceptions of beginning music teachers in South Korea regarding how their music teacher education prepared them for actual practice. The following research questions are investigated: (a) What aspects of the music teacher preparation programme do beginning music teachers perceive as most helpful? (b) What aspects of the music teacher preparation programme do beginning music teachers perceive as least helpful?
Music teacher education programmes in South Korea
In South Korea, music teacher education programmes are offered at the undergraduate level (four years at a college of education) and the graduate level (two and a half years at a graduate school of education). Teaching certification pathways are offered only in universities, not conservatoires. Preservice music teachers are required to earn credits in both general and music education. More specific and standardised criteria for completing general education courses were established in 2009, making the educational process more rigorous. Accordingly, preservice music teachers need to take general education courses in three categories: pedagogical theory, professional teaching competency, and teaching practicum.
The music education curriculum in South Korea is divided into music education pedagogy and music content knowledge (Choi & Seog, Reference CHOI and SEOG2016). Music education pedagogy comprises music education theory, instructional materials research, and teaching methods. Music education theory includes foundational courses in music education, such as Introduction to Music Education, Music Curriculum, and Music Assessment. Instructional materials research includes courses on analysing and researching music textbooks used in schools and developing media for music lessons. Teaching methods encompass traditional and general music teaching methods that can be utilised in lessons, as well as courses designed to enhance teachers’ musical performance skills.
Music content knowledge courses can be broadly divided into performance and theory. Performance comprises individual and group performance. In addition, there are courses in piano and janggu (Korean drum) accompaniment to prepare for lessons, as well as courses in choir and ensemble. Most schools offering a major in music education include fundamental theory courses such as Introduction to Music and Sight-Singing and Ear Training in the curriculum. This curriculum balances Western music (including Harmony, Counterpoint, and Western music history) and Korean traditional music (including Introduction to Korean music, Korean music history, and Traditional instruments), in line with the recently revised 2022 South Korean national music curriculum.
In addition to coursework, preservice teachers in South Korea need to complete two types of field experiences: fieldwork and student teaching. They must participate in 60 hours of fieldwork at the early stage of the teacher preparation programme, prior to student teaching. This fieldwork is aimed at helping preservice teachers develop a better understanding of teaching and cultivate a sense of responsibility and leadership. During fieldwork, preservice teachers cover various activities, such as assisting in-service teachers with administrative tasks and supervising students during lunch. In contrast, student teaching lasts four weeks and provides preservice teachers with opportunities to develop professional teaching competencies; accordingly, they mainly engage in designing and delivering lessons.
Method
This study employed a collective case study as the primary method of investigation to understand beginning music teachers’ experiences in a music teacher preparation programme. A case study investigates a ‘phenomenon in depth and within its real-life context’ (Yin, Reference YIN2009, p. 18). A collective case study, in particular, involves examining several cases to develop a broader understanding of a specific issue (Stake, Reference STAKE1995). In this study, the phenomenon being explored was a music teacher preparation programme in South Korea, and each case was a beginning music teacher. This study conducted an in-depth investigation of five beginning music teachers’ perceptions of and experiences with the music teacher preparation programme. In addition, it examined their combined experience to gain further insights into, as well as an overall understanding of, their perceptions of this programme.
Context for the research
The teacher education programme in South Korea has been undergoing restructuring and revision to enhance teachers’ skills in addressing modern issues such as artificial intelligence (AI) and multiculturalism (Ministry of Education in Korea, 2021). Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that music teacher preparation programmes effectively meet the needs of beginning music teachers and prepare them to address the challenges of the ever-changing teaching practice. This study focuses on a specific preservice music teacher preparation programme in Seoul. This programme is representative of music teacher preparation programmes in the country because it has consistently received excellent evaluations from the Ministry of Education in the national assessments of teacher preparation programmes since 1999. In addition, the programme emphasises educational innovation and encourages students and faculty to engage in cutting-edge research, thereby contributing to advancing educational theories and practices. In this graduate programme, which leads to a secondary teaching certification and a Master of Education, preservice music teachers need to take five semester-long courses as part of their studies.
Participants
Criterion and purposeful maximal selection strategies (Creswell & Poth, Reference CRESWELL and POTH2018) were used to choose participants for this study. First, a research study invitation was sent via email to recent programme graduates, specifically music teachers who (a) had obtained a music teaching certificate between 2018 and 2021, (b) were currently working as full-time music teachers, and (c) had one to three years of teaching experience. Eight music teachers emailed back expressing their interest in participating in the study. Subsequently, purposeful maximal sampling was used to ensure diversity among research participants, capturing their commonalities (Creswell & Poth, Reference CRESWELL and POTH2018). As a result, five music teachers were selected based on teaching level (middle or high school), location, and school type (private or public).
The participants were assigned pseudonyms to ensure anonymity. Lee graduated from the programme at the beginning of 2021 and began working as a full-time music teacher in a private boys’ middle school in Seoul in 2022. She majored in music composition as an undergraduate and was assigned to teach seventh-grade general music and band as an extracurricular activity. Park also started working as a music teacher in a private boys’ middle school located in the western region of Seoul in 2022. She majored in piano performance as an undergraduate and received her music teaching certificate in graduate school. Bin passed the secondary school music teacher examination in 2021 and began working at a public middle school in Gyeonggi-do, teaching eighth-grade general music. Soo majored in Korean traditional drums as an undergraduate. After passing the secondary school music teacher examination in 2022, she began working at a public middle school in Gyeonggi-do, primarily teaching seventh-and eighth-grade general music. Min, who specialised in Korean traditional musical instruments as an undergraduate, started working as a music teacher at a public middle school in the eastern region of Seoul in 2020, teaching general music and choir as an extracurricular activity. All five participants were women, reflecting the fact that the programme is offered at a women’s university.
Data collection
Two data collection methods were used to investigate beginning music teachers’ perceptions of the music teacher preparation programme. After receiving approval from an institutional review board, participants were emailed to schedule the first interview. Subsequently, from September to October 2022, each participant visited the researcher’s office for an interview. At the beginning of the interview, the participants were provided with a consent form, which explained the research purpose and process. All participants agreed to participate in two individual interviews and a class observation. They were interviewed again in their school environments after the class observations from November to December 2022.
The first round of interviews established ‘the context of the participants’ experience’, while the second round was conducted to ‘allow participants to reconstruct the details of their experience within the context in which it occurs’ (Seidman, Reference SEIDMAN1998, p. 17). All interview questions were in a semi-structured format guided by the research questions. The questions in the first round of interviews included the following: (a) What was the most memorable teaching moment during your early years of teaching? (b) What were the strategies, methods, or processes in the teacher preparation programme that helped the most or the least during your early years of teaching? (c) If you were to reflect on all your experiences in the teacher preparation programme, what would you suggest to improve the programme? The second interview of each participant focused on additional questions derived from analysing their first interview. All interviews were audio-recorded and lasted 45–75 minutes.
After the first round of interviews, the participants were observed as they taught their regular music classes. The purpose of these class observations was to understand the participants’ teaching contexts to better interpret their interviews. The observations focused on how they prepared teaching materials, what they taught, how they interacted with students, and how they reflected on their teaching.
Data analysis
This study followed the data analysis spiral technique put forth by Creswell & Poth (Reference CRESWELL and POTH2018). After organising all the data from the interviews and observations, each participant’s data were examined, and notes were made on emerging ideas and thoughts. Next, codes were created and organised into themes based on the research purpose and questions. Subsequently, for cross-case analysis, the codes and themes were compared between cases to identify commonalities and differences. Finally, interpretations were developed based on the themes derived from the cases while examining the meanings embedded in the text.
Data triangulation and member checking were used to increase the study’s validity (Crowe et al., Reference CROWE, CRESSWELL, ROBERTSON, HUBY, AVERY and SHEIKH2011). Two data collection methods, namely individual interviews and class observations, were employed to develop a broader understanding of the phenomenon being researched. In addition, during the analysis process, emerging findings and interpretations were shared with the participants, and they were asked to provide their opinions on the results. All participants agreed with the themes generated and the interpretation of the results.
Findings
The five participants identified the three learning experiences most helpful in transitioning from university to teaching practice: peer teaching, writing a master’s thesis, and interacting with peers from various backgrounds. Furthermore, the data revealed that the least helpful learning experiences were a disconnection between theory and practice, early fieldwork unrelated to music teaching, and methods classes that did not cover cutting-edge technology.
The most helpful learning experiences
Peer teaching. As beginning music teachers, the participants identified significant value in the peer teaching experiences in several courses. They found lesson planning, which they learned from peer teaching, to be especially beneficial. Min commented,
Writing a lesson plan in class was vital because I gained a lot from it. I learned how to write the lesson plan, from knowing absolutely nothing to understanding in detail what must be included in the introduction, what should go where, and the order of learning activities. Now I teach classes using these principles, which helps me focus on the overall flow of the lessons. As a beginning music teacher, I sometimes make mistakes while teaching students, but I remember the direction and purpose of teaching while writing the lesson plan, which guides me on where to go, even when I lose my way during a lesson (Min’s first interview).
Others identified the value of peer teaching for learning by doing. They differentiated writing a lesson plan from teaching music lessons, and a common sentiment was that they realised the shortcomings of their plans when executing them. For example, Lee commented: ‘The peer teaching experience was very valuable. Without peer teaching, getting the chance to practice teaching in front of others would be quite difficult.’ Echoing the value of peer teaching. Park stated that she not only enjoyed the experience but also relished opportunities to find areas that were lacking in her lesson plans:
When preparing the lesson, I tried to make activities flow naturally from one to the next. Then, when I actually conducted the lesson, I realised there were awkward transitions. I thought that moving from one activity to the next would be seamless, but in reality, some transitions were awkward. I learned a lot about these aspects while teaching in front of peers. (Park’s second interview)
In addition, two participants found observing peers’ teaching and reflecting on it to be rewarding. For example, Park mentioned,
Watching peers’ lessons significantly impacted me. I learned a lot about what not to do during class. For instance, I observed peer teaching where a peer prepared a lesson to explain the sonata form. However, the prepared activities were too difficult even for me to understand. While observing this, I realised that teaching in that manner would not engage students. I learned that such an approach would be ineffective. (Park’s first interview)
These results indicate that observing and reflecting on peers’ teaching as well as writing and teaching a lesson plan were valuable aspects of the music teacher preparation programme.
Writing a master’s thesis. One of the most interesting results of this study was that the participants identified their experience writing a master’s thesis as a critical and valuable element of their preparation for becoming music teachers. All participants completed their music teacher preparation programme at a graduate school of education, where a thesis is a mandatory graduation requirement. The participants commented that they found great value in their master’s thesis and were highly proactive in learning from it. When asked what the most valuable experience during the music teacher preparation programme was, Soo explained,
For my thesis, I wrote about several lesson plans and investigated the effects of these new teaching strategies on students’ learning. To complete the thesis, I wrote eight lesson plans and revised them more than 30 times. Through this process, I gained a deeper understanding of music content and realised the importance of developing effective teaching strategies appropriate for students’ interests and learning levels, which I found very beneficial. (Soo’s second interview)
In addition, the experience of writing a master’s thesis helped the beginning music teachers in this study contemplate how and why they chose specific objectives and activities in music classes. For example, Park stated that the process of writing her master’s thesis was the most valuable part of her learning, as it offered opportunities to think about the rationale behind musical choices:
When writing my thesis in graduate school, I wrote several lesson plans and implemented them in teaching contexts… Writing my thesis was helpful because it taught me how to define the topic, explain why it is necessary, and articulate the importance of certain musical activities to help students achieve class objectives… Now, as a music teacher, I have many chances to introduce music programmes to administrators, other teachers, parents, and students, and I can explain my music classes more logically due to the experience of writing a thesis. (Park’s first interview)
In line with this, during Park’s class observation, it was noted that she focused on first explaining why the lesson topic was important. For example, when introducing ‘Arirang’, Park explained why her students needed to sing this song:
Today, we are going to sing ‘Arirang.’ This Korean folk song represents the beauty and excitement of our traditional music. ‘Arirang’ has evolved alongside the joys and sorrows of the Korean people, transforming at times into a lyrical song and, at other times, a song of resistance through the Japanese colonial period. (Park’s class observation)
The South Korean national curriculum emphasises that teachers need to provide clear learning objectives at the beginning of classes, and writing a thesis aims to help teachers develop this practice.
Furthermore, writing a thesis seemed helpful for beginning music teachers with regard to administrative tasks. Lee described how her experience with writing a thesis positively affected her early years of teaching:
I wrote a thesis, which taught me the fundamentals of writing. I also systematically learned how to read and research theses, which was extremely beneficial. This skill has been useful in my work, helping me write official documents and use proper language when communicating with others in schools. I believe the thesis-writing experience significantly contributed to this improvement, and I am genuinely grateful for it. (Lee’s first interview)
Thus, the valuable aspects of writing a master’s thesis included finding effective teaching strategies, contemplating how and why they choose objectives and activities in music classes, and better handling administrative works.
Interacting with peers from various backgrounds. Three participants explicitly described interactions with peers from various backgrounds as important to their success as beginning music teachers. In particular, Soo identified the benefits of help from her peers in the music teacher preparation programme:
In my classes, I got to know many peers who majored in instruments different from my major in Korean traditional music. This was a considerable advantage… I had a lot of questions about singing and instruments while preparing lesson plans and studying music education courses. Thus, I could get ideas from someone with hands-on experience in those subjects. This was much more helpful than just studying the theory. Knowing there were so many different majors was really beneficial. (Soo’s second interview)
However, interactions with peers did not occur automatically for all participants, and group assignments among preservice music teachers did not necessarily positively impact their learning. For example, Bin reported that she had both positive and negative experiences while collaborating with peers:
I really liked how we [Bin and her peers] collaborated in the programme… I have both good and bad memories of peer collaboration. I did a lot of group projects, such as lesson planning and presentation. Sometimes, I effectively collaborated with my peers, but other times, we divided the assignment into several sections, worked on each part separately, and then combined all sections without giving feedback on each other’s sections… In this project, we did not know each person’s strengths in their majors, so it was difficult to collaborate. I think that is why that kind of collaboration was not very effective. (Bin’s first interview)
Nevertheless, Bin’s peer interaction experiences positively impacted her middle school music class. During her class observation, Bin asked her students to compose a short song as a group project. She tried to place students with different abilities in the same group, in addition to asking them to write down their strengths and weaknesses regarding this project and share this information with their peers. When asked about this strategy, she answered, ‘That is what I learned from the teacher preparation programme. I believe that this group project could help them compose a song while learning from each other’s strengths.’
Overall, several participants emphasised the importance of interacting with peers from various backgrounds for their success as beginning music teachers. However, peer interactions did not occur automatically for all participants, and effective collaboration was hindered when group members worked separately without understanding each other’s strengths.
The least helpful learning experiences
A disconnection between theory and practice. All participants described the least helpful learning experience as that which occurred in the general education courses, which presented a disconnection between theory and practice. For example, Lee commented that she was unable to connect the general educational theory she learned with her music teaching context:
I learned a lot in the educational theory courses, such as educational psychology and administration. However, these courses focused heavily on theory, which seemed somewhat disconnected from practical application. While this content was helpful for preparing for the teacher certification exam, I felt it was somewhat lacking in practical application. (Lee’s second interview)
Min echoed this sentiment, adding that she would have benefited from examples of how educational theory could be applied to music education contexts:
I think it would have been better if courses had focused more on cases and practical examples. Other educational courses I took were too theory-heavy, making me wonder if I could actually use what I was learning in real-world situations. Looking back, while there were various educational subjects, I never really learned how to apply that knowledge in music classes. This is what I found disappointing. (Min’s first interview)
Similarly, Soo described difficulties in bridging theory and practice in music theory and history courses. Although she stated that she had enjoyed these courses and learned extensively, she saw this disconnect as a drawback in preparing to teach music:
In graduate school, I learned about Western music history and theory, but I wish I had focused more on integrating these theories into practical activities. I felt there was a lack of guidance on explaining these theories in a way students could easily understand. I felt there was a bit of a gap. (Soo’s second interview)
Most participants described a disconnection between theory and practice in their education courses. They viewed general education and music-related courses as necessary but expressed the need for practical examples and guidance in effectively applying these theories to music teaching.
Early fieldwork unrelated to teaching music. Four participants expressed their disappointment with their early fieldwork, which was unrelated to music teaching. Students in the music teacher preparation programme are required to complete 60 hours of educational volunteer service before participating in student teaching. According to the participants, this early fieldwork was ineffective because it was not music-or grade-specific. For example, Park noted,
I had to find a place for early fieldwork myself, and there were few opportunities. So I ended up volunteering at an elementary school. However, I found the time spent there to be quite meaningless. I spent a significant amount of time there, around 60 hours, but I aimed to teach at either a middle or high school. The difference between those levels and elementary school was substantial. And I did not have a chance to observe or teach music classes. It was awful. (Park’s first interview)
Bin also commented on the importance of a suitable place for early fieldwork for the music teacher preparation programme. In particular, she pointed out the need for the active participation of preservice music teachers in the teaching context:
I was working at an after-school programme in an elementary school, and I did not really have anything to intellectually engage in. I was just sitting there, ensuring the kids did nothing dangerous. While it might have had some meaning as volunteer work, it did not really contribute to my growth as a preservice music teacher. I felt that my time spent there was somewhat wasted. (Bin’s second interview)
In summary, participants felt that this early fieldwork was ineffective as it was not specific to music or the grades they intended to teach. In addition, they generally preferred ‘participant observation’ to ‘non-participant observation’. They highlighted the need for early fieldwork to be more relevant to their future teaching contexts.
Methods classes that did not cover cutting-edge technology. Three participants held largely unfavourable views of the usefulness and applicability of the methods courses in the music teacher preparation programme, noting that these classes focused excessively on traditional teaching methods. For example, Park spoke of the lack of preparation in dealing with technology:
With the integration of various applications and modern technologies and distribution of one tablet per student in each school, music teachers need to know what kinds of technology are currently in use and how to use them for teaching singing, playing, listening, and composing… When I took methods classes in the programme, I learned several teaching methods, such as Kodály and Dalcroze, but these classes did not offer appropriate content for teaching in an ever-changing world. (Park’s first interview)
Since 2022, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has implemented the ‘Digital Friend’ project, under which each student is provided with a tablet for their own learning. Park pointed out that current methods classes in music teacher preparation programmes are failing to keep up with this rapid change in school contexts.
Similarly, Min contrasted her learning in methods classes with the reality of teaching practice:
The recently revised curriculum asks music teachers to utilise technologies, including AI and the metaverse. If we were to integrate the metaverse with music education, how could we do that? I know what the metaverse is, but I have not been implementing it in practice. I did not have a chance to learn these technologies and how to use them for music teaching in methods classes… If the music teacher preparation programme could consider and teach how to implement these technologies in school settings, it might accelerate their practical application. (Min’s second interview)
During Min’s class observation, she implemented the programme ‘AIVA’ for a composition class where students actively participated in composing their own music pieces. When asked why she planned the integration of technology in her music class, she explained that students had difficulty participating in composition activities; to address this, she not only sought out technology that could help students enjoy composing music but also independently researched and learned how to use this technology. This observation illustrates how the lack of technology training may place an extra burden on beginning teachers forcing them to engage in additional self-directed learning to run their classes effectively.
To summarise, the teachers in this study expressed concerns about the limited usefulness and applicability of certain methods courses in their music teacher preparation programme, highlighting an over-emphasis on traditional teaching methods. Their main shared complaint was the gap between their methods classes and the practical demands of teaching.
Discussion and conclusion
Preservice teacher preparation programmes are vital in ensuring teacher quality (Ballantyne & Packer, Reference BALLANTYNE and PACKER2004; Goodnough et al., Reference GOODNOUGH, FALKENBERG and MACDONALD2016) as these programmes provide the skills necessary for creating impactful learning experiences in the classroom (Caena, Reference CAENA2014). Therefore, this study sought to investigate the perceptions of beginning music teachers in South Korea regarding their preparedness resulting from their music teacher education.
The results showed that all participants perceived writing a master’s thesis as important in transitioning from the preservice stage to teaching practice. Studying a specific topic for a thesis allowed the participants to obtain greater knowledge on their chosen topics, deeply contemplate how and why they chose specific objectives and activities in music classes, and develop their writing skills. Previous studies have emphasised the value of fieldwork (Groulx, Reference GROULX2016), student teaching (Brophy, Reference BROPHY2002; Conway, Reference CONWAY2002), and contextualised courses (Ballantyne, Reference BALLANTYNE2006; Meng & Goopy, Reference MENG and GOOPY2023). In line with this, the importance of peer teaching was observed in the current study. Surprisingly, it also identified writing a master’s thesis as another helpful type of learning for music teacher preparation. The development of writing skills through thesis writing is especially important in the South Korean educational context because secondary teachers in this country often have more administrative responsibilities than those in other countries. South Korean secondary music teachers not only teach music classes but also work as homeroom teachers; thus, they need specific writing skills to communicate with others in schools. This finding suggests that the value of writing a thesis extends beyond developing teachers’ academic capacity and helps them handle the administrative tasks specific to their educational contexts.
Previous studies have utilised research projects for preservice teachers’ professional learning, showing that these projects enabled teachers to acquire systematic subject matter and curriculum knowledge while reflecting on the research process and finding new strategies (Burbank & Kauchak, Reference BURBANK and KAUCHAK2003; Schmid & Hegelheimer, Reference SCHMID and HEGELHEIMER2014). Thus, more attention should be devoted to this area, as this result demonstrates that the research project itself is as important as student teaching and fieldwork for music teacher preparation. Moreover, this finding has implications for music teacher preparation programmes in other countries. Most music teacher preparation programmes at undergraduate schools do not require preservice teachers to participate in research projects, and completing a master’s thesis as a requirement for teaching certification is not necessarily feasible in other countries. Instead, mini research projects as a course or graduation requirement can help preservice teachers become more effective and confident. Such projects provide preservice music teachers with opportunities to find effective teaching strategies and deeply examine why they need to teach specific topics. In particular, the South Korean national curriculum emphasises that all teachers need to present clear learning objectives at the beginning of classes, and writing a thesis helps preservice music teachers develop this practice.
Three participants reported that interacting with peers from various backgrounds was one of the most rewarding aspects of the music teacher preparation programme. This result corroborates previous studies showing the importance of peer support for preservice teachers’ growth as music teachers (Draves, Reference DRAVES2017; Shin, Reference SHIN2019). Furthermore, this study shows that music teachers’ perceptions of peer interactions are influenced by their educational backgrounds. The secondary school music teacher examination in South Korea requires a significant amount of Western music knowledge compared to Korean traditional music knowledge. Consequently, participants who majored in Korean traditional music relied more on peer interactions to prepare for their teaching careers because they had less exposure to Western music during their undergraduate studies. This finding suggests that music teacher educators need to consider students’ educational backgrounds so that they can learn from each other’s areas of expertise. However, this study also demonstrates that effective peer interactions do not automatically happen merely because preservice music teachers are in the same group or class. Teachers’ ongoing professional growth through collaboration often occurs through in-depth conversations over extended periods (Chen, Reference CHEN2012) and distinct professional expertise among members (Broley et al., Reference BROLEY, BUTEAU and SARDELLA2023). Music teacher educators should prepare informal online and in-person events outside class as well as formal projects and meetings in class so students can meet peers regularly and gain a sense of community. Another strategy involves dividing students into groups based on their strengths, weaknesses, and diversity. For this strategy to be effective, music teacher educators need to provide time for students in the same group to learn and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Most teachers in this study expressed a need for a better connection between theory and practice. This view is consistent with previous studies (Ballantyne, Reference BALLANTYNE2006; Legette, Reference LEGETTE2013; Legette & McCord, Reference LEGETTE and MCCORD2014; Roulston et al., Reference ROULSTON, LEGETTE and WOMAK2005), suggesting that music teacher preparation programmes should provide preservice teachers with more teaching opportunities in real-world contexts and ensure that they learn educational theory in music-specific contexts. In South Korea, this disconnect may be particularly influenced by the secondary school teacher examination, which results in an emphasis on theoretical knowledge. However, teacher preparation programmes should go beyond examination preparation and consider broader goals, such as helping teachers successfully adjust to school contexts. Therefore, music teacher preparation programmes should focus more on craft knowledge (Grimmett & MacKinnon, Reference GRIMMETT and MACKINNON1992) or pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, Reference SHULMAN1986). An experienced teacher transforms the content of knowledge to make it easy for students to understand and selects appropriate teaching methods suited to the characteristics of a specific subject (Barnett & Hodson, Reference BARNETT and HODSON2001). A critical aspect of this process is considering how to effectively convey specific concepts to students within the framework of the content and curriculum of a particular subject (Shulman, Reference SHULMAN1986). This requires continuous reflective thinking about why a particular topic was taught in a certain way (Cochran, Reference COCHRAN and Sherwood1997). Therefore, in general education and music content knowledge courses, preservice music teachers should have the opportunity to apply what they learned in music-specific contexts and reflect on why these teaching methods are appropriate for specific age groups, topics, and music classes.
Three music teachers in this study felt that methods classes focused heavily on traditional teaching methods and lacked content on the latest technologies needed for music classes. Previous research has indicated that methods classes are too abstract (Legette, Reference LEGETTE2013), but the teachers in this study mentioned that these classes did not provide them with sufficient information and training on music technology, making it difficult to apply such technology in practice. Notably, all three participants who raised this concern were working in Seoul, where the ‘Digital Friend’ project has been implemented since 2022. This finding indicates that music teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness as teachers are likely to be influenced by the specific contexts in which they are teaching. This result highlights the importance of considering regional contexts to better prepare preservice teachers for actual work settings. Furthermore, several countries, such as South Korea and China, have recently decided to utilise AI to provide personalised learning opportunities tailored to individuals’ abilities and levels (Southworth et al., Reference SOUTHWORTH, MIGLIACCIO, GLOVER, GLOVER, REED, MCCARTY, BRENDEMUHL and THOMAS2023). Thus, to prepare for such a rapidly changing educational environment, it is essential to effectively incorporate technology courses into the music teacher preparation programmes.
This study also has a few limitations. Only the perceptions of beginning music teachers who had graduated from one specific programme were examined, making it difficult to generalise these findings to other regions. Thus, future studies should examine the views of beginning music teachers from programmes in different regions. In addition, as this study was conducted only in South Korea, future research is needed to clarify how preservice teachers in different countries learn from varying experiences and to compare their perceptions and experiences based on educational backgrounds. By conducting similar studies in diverse countries, researchers can identify commonalities and differences in music teacher preparation programmes at the global level, providing insights into best practices and areas of improvement.
Author Biography
Jihae Shin is an associate professor at the Graduate School of Education at Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea, where she teaches music education courses. She earned her master’s degree at Ohio State University and her doctoral degree at Teachers College, Columbia University, USA. Her research interests include teacher education, professional development, teacher collaboration, and technology.
