Effects of Learner-Centered Activities in Preparation of Music Educators: Finding the Teacher Within

Abstract

The authors followed the progress of 43 undergraduate music education majors through three semesters of peer teaching, field-based teaching of school-age students, and student teaching. Each semester, students followed a reflective practice model that included plan/teach/archive/reflect procedures following every teaching experience. The reflective practice model, as explained in this study, is a learner-centered model that emphasizes self-evaluation and professional responsibility rather than traditional instructor grading and feedback.The report includes student responses to three semesters of surveys requiring Likert-type scale responses, recall of self-reported skill levels during previous semesters, and responses to open-ended questions.