Despite studies showing that individuals with higher levels of emotional intelligence report higher job satisfaction and happiness, relatively few studies have looked at the relationship between higher levels of emotional intelligence and lower levels of teacher burnout, especially among music teachers. With so many music teaching positions going…

Piano literature (or keyboard repertory studies) is commonly included in piano performance and some piano pedagogy degrees in the United States. This single or sequential course is required by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) at both undergraduate and graduate levels. While most universities include such courses in their degree…

Continuous improvement is the process of making incremental changes to systems or processes to improve outcomes. The purpose of this dissertation was to conduct a study to learn how continuous improvement might serve as a vehicle for further conceptualizing profound learning theory at the individual learner level. The research began with a…

The music student teaching experience is a crucial time for pre-service music teachers to apply concepts they learned in university coursework to teaching practice before beginning their careers. Examination of this important aspect of music teacher education may elucidate problems of teacher attrition and feelings of unpreparedness to teach in…

Collaborative teaching may provide classroom support, professional development, and mentoring for teachers (Gallo-Fox & Scantlebury, 2016; Guise et al., 2017; Friend et al., 2015; Rytivaara et al., 2019). Recent scholarship in music education has indicated that collaborative teaching may also provide a more holistic approach to student teacher…

Voice misclassification threatens the vocal longevity and long-term career success of voice students enrolled in higher education (HE) vocal programs. Not every singer possesses the musculature required to support the unique vocal fold density and subglottal pressure necessary to sing repertoire and roles associated with certain voice types…

The purpose of this study is to identify how common the practice of block scheduling is currently among American public middle schools. This study also determines the perspectives of choral music educators working in public middle schools with existing block schedules. More extant literature is needed to examine block scheduling practices at the…

Temporomandibular Disorders are a prevalent group of disorders affecting the temporomandibular joints and surrounding structures, including the masticatory muscles, ligaments, and tissues. Voice pedagogy literature and social media suggest an incomplete understanding of TMDs among voice teachers, with no repository containing a synthesis of…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to describe relationships between stress, burnout, and perfectionism and provide the first empirical documentation of the prevalence and perceived role of perfectionism among music educators. I collected quantitative data on perceived stress, stress appraisal, burnout, and perfectionism in a national…

Collaboration among music educators is an essential practice in building professional relationships, furthering student achievement, and supporting professional learning (Anderson, 2013; Armstrong, 2010; Battersby, 2019; Harris, 2015; Kastner, 2014; Sinberg, 2016). Unfortunately, music educators are quite frequently left out of the collaborative…

The purpose of the study was to investigate secondary choral music educators' and administrators' perceptions of the use of the Mississippi Professional Growth System (PGS) as an applicable tool for evaluating secondary choral music educators. While there is limited research regarding the evaluation of choral music educators, this study aimed to…

A music fundamentals instructor teaches music literacy, core musicianship skills, the harmonic and melodic principles, and assesses the overall musical competency of students. Many instructors take pedagogy courses while either an undergraduate or graduate student that might prepare them for classroom teaching. However, not all pedagogy courses…

All teachers, regardless of where they are in their career, should be valued and deserve relevant, applicable, and inspiring professional development both for the sake of their classrooms and their continued adult learning. To avoid the attitude of "I feel like I got this," one may suggest that schools providing music content-focused and…

Measures of job satisfaction and preparedness from an initial survey with music teachers (n=40) were used to predict flow states using Csikszentmihalyi's theory of flow. Flow state and corresponding professional action data were collected through experience sampling. Multiple linear regression was used to show relationships between demographic…

This qualitative study examines the perceptions of current and former instrumental music educators regarding the reasons behind music teachers leaving the profession. The study aims to provide evidence to better understand these issues and their implications for educational leadership. By conducting semi-structured interviews with seven former…