Classroom Teachers' and Music Specialists' Perceived Ability to Implement the National Standards for Music Education

Abstract

This study was designed as an examination of teacher perceptions about factors affecting the successful teaching of the National Standards for Music Education. Subjects of the study were music specialists and fourth-grade classroom teachers—or generalists—from public elementary schools throughout Florida. A survey was administered to both groups to determine opinions regarding the feasibility of implementing each of the nine National Standards for Music Education (singing, playing instruments, improvising, composing/arranging, reading/notating, listening/analyzing, evaluating, understanding music as it relates to other subjects, and understanding musk as it relates to history and culture) by rating seven items (contact time, resources, assistance, ability, training, interest, responsibility, and level of assistance). Results indicated that, with respect to all seven items, music specialists are considerably more amenable to the implementation of all nine standards than are general educators. Certain standards are more feasible for both music teachers and generalists to integrate, whereas others should be solely implemented by music teachers. Music specialists are less dependent on the assistance of generalists, but the generalists need the assistance of music specialists to successfully implement most standards. Both groups expressed a concern about the lack of time and resources to effectively teach what is required by most standards.