Public School Music Teachers' Perceptions of the Effect of Certain Competencies on Pupil Learning

Abstract

A list of competencies was developed and rated by 201 public school music teachers. Fifty-one competencies were classified as musical, and 59 were identified as teaching competencies. General music, instrumental, and choral teachers rated the competencies in terms of their effect on pupil learning. Competencies were ranked on the basis of the mean rating. The highest rated musical competencies required aural skills to detect errors in performance; the lowest ratings were given for competencies in accompanying. Teaching competencies, which received the highest ratings, were connected with evaluation of the music program or of self; those competencies receiving the lowest ratings were related to evaluation of pupils. The three groups of teachers gave significantly different ratings to 45.1% of the musical competencies and to 25.4% of the teaching competencies.