Kelly A. Parkes’s research while affiliated with Teachers College and other places

In this article, the term teaching artist is reconsidered from a variety of angles. The ways in which the term teaching artist has developed, and the ways it remains nebulous, are explored. In this article, the notion that the teaching artist model presents an extension of the traditional master-apprentice model is presented. Observations are made about the pathways toward becoming a teaching artist and the systemic barriers to becoming a teaching artist are illustrated. Reconsideration is given to the professional developments available to teaching artists. Finally, the outcomes achieved by students of teaching artists are questioned and suggestions for research and policy are given.

This chapter explains the nature of self-directed learning (SDL) by providing an overview of the leading theoretical frameworks with a synthesis of the latest research. It explores connections that SDL has to constructivism, to learner-centered teaching, and the differences observed between SDL and self-regulation. Methods of measuring SDL are addressed and the various elements of self-directed strategies are explored. Self-directed strategies are presented as an overarching learning approach, one in which the learner conceptualizes, designs, conducts, and evaluates their learning. Components of SDL seen in learners include learning motivation, awareness, learning strategies, learning activities, planning and implementing, self-monitoring, interpersonal communication, and evaluation. Suggestions for the ways in which SDL strategies may be implemented in musical settings are given for the strategies of self-management, self-monitoring, and self-modifying behaviors, in both the applied one-to-one studio and classroom settings.

Volume 1 of the Oxford Handbook of Music Performance is designed around four distinct parts: Development and Learning, Proficiencies, Performance Practices, and Psychology. Chapters cover a range of topics dealing with musical development, talent development, and chapters dealing with learning strategies from a self-directed student learning perspective and high-impact teaching mindframes. Essential proficiencies include coverage of effective practice habits, through to the abilities of being able to play by ear, sight-read, improvise, memorize repertoire, and conduct and chapters that detail the highly personalized forms of musical expression that go beyond the printed notation or stylistic convention of the repetoire being performed. Chapters within the Performance Practices part cover some of the most fundamental aspects of performance practices from Baroque through to New Music repertoire and include chapters dealing with how emotions might be generated as a form of historically informed performance practice, and how creativity unfolds in the real-time dynamics of musical performance. The Psychology part concerns characteristics and individual differences in human behavior, cognition, emotion, and wellness. Across chapters in this part, several common threads and themes are evident: our relationships with music itself and what it means to become and to be a musician, the tensions that can arise between the joy of music and the hard work required to develop musical skills, and the intimate connection between music performance and our social and emotional lives.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of life, including the instructional practices of music educators. The purpose of this study was to examine music teachers’ well-being following the disruptions in schooling that resulted from the pandemic in the Spring of 2020. We also investigated how disruptions may have affected music teachers’ perceptions of their efficacy and the status of the profession. A questionnaire was completed by 2,023 music teachers who were members of the National Association for Music Education. We collected data related to (a) demographic and institutional information, (b) well-being, (c) teaching efficacy, (d) the impact of the pandemic upon the profession, and (e) the impact of the pandemic upon student learning. The questionnaire included the PERMA Profiler, a measure of well-being, and a portion of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Both PK–12 and collegiate teachers reported significantly lower levels of overall well-being and significantly higher levels of depression than published norms. Additional analyses examined the relationship of individual difference and teaching context variables to the well-being measures, perceptions of teaching efficacy, and perceptions of the pandemic’s impact on student learning.

In adapting to remote emergency teaching modes during pandemic-imposed conditions, teachers’ instruction has changed dramatically. Early research indicates that the well-being of music teachers has suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic and that high levels of depression are widespread. The purpose of this survey study was to assess the continued psychological well-being of music teachers working amid a global pandemic based upon previous research we conducted during the Spring 2020 semester when most teachers in the United States were forced into emergency remote teaching. A secondary purpose was to explore the ways that pandemic conditions have affected music teachers’ sense of safety at work and their current teaching situations. Our questionnaire consisted of sections pertaining to (1) demographic and institutional information, (2) well-being and depression, (3) instructional format and preparedness, (4) teaching efficacy compared to the start of the pandemic, and (5) potential positive outcomes of the pandemic-imposed adjustments. In total, 1,325 music teachers responded to our survey. Overall, the participants reported poorer well-being than both published norms and the sample of participants in our previous study. In addition, 17% reported mild depression, 25% reported moderate depression, and 24% reported severe extremely severe levels of depression. Summaries of the participants instructional experiences and their implications for music education are discussed within.

In this study, we report what music teacher educators (MTEs, N = 149) in higher education understand about assessment. We include their assessment pedagogy, their levels of assessment pedagogy efficacy (APE) at both programmatic (unit level) and personal levels (ProAPE and PeAPE respectively), and the relationship this efficacy has with their (MTEs) satisfaction of assessment pedagogies within their institutions. This mixed-methods study uses a convergent parallel design, with qualitative inductive coding and quantitative factor analyses, correlational analyses, and non-parametric tests. We determine that MTEs report some misunderstanding of the assessment lexicon nevertheless they hold mostly high levels of both personal and programmatic assessment pedagogy efficacy. Differences were observed between MTEs that graduated after 2008 than those who graduated prior to 2008. Findings center on higher education faculty comfort with assessment in higher education with implications for professional development and continued research in the area.