Leading Music Education International Conference

Examining the Musical Identity of Pre-service Generalist Teachers: Origins and Implications

In this presentation, an attempt is made to investigate the ways of thinking and knowing about the ‘practice’ of music by generalist teachers using the parameters described by Jorgensen (2008) such as; tradition, values, dispositions and attitudes. This presentation is a report on the results of a study of generalist music preservice teachers conducted at The University of Western Ontario, Faculty of Education. The unveiling of the ‘practice’ of music in this population as their identities are in flux may reveal ways of knowing and understanding ourselves in society. The field of music education may gain a Meta perspective (Johansen, 2010) of itself through a sociological lens, in essence, making the familiar become strange (Wright, 2010). While contemporary literature and resources available support the preservice music specialist, there is very little focus from the field of music education towards the preservice generalist music teacher. Advocacy for specialist teachers is quite successful in many school systems; however, there are many more schools without adequate funding for specialist teachers. In 2005, indications show that there are instances in Ontario where 70% of the elementary school children are receiving music instruction from a non-specialist (Montgomery & Griffin, 2005). This leaves the generalist teacher to design and implement their own music program, or omit it from the curriculum entirely. In this study we wish to illuminate issues of identity and attitudes towards music teaching from non-specialists, and to address the origins of their beliefs and attitudes.