Actual and Ideal Roles of Music Teachers in Community Schools of the Arts Pertaining to Community, School, and the Profession

Abstract

The purpose of the study was:1. To develop an inventory of music teacher roles which pertained to the setting, community schools of the arts (CSAs).2. To discover how music teachers perceive their actual job roles vs. their ideal job roles in CSAs.An instrument was structured using the roles found in the work of Onderdonk (1995), Barnes (1972), Moller (1981), White (1964), and input from experts. Roles were categorized into three areas: community, school, and professional. The population of teachers was drawn from member schools of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts (NGCSA) for the year 2005-2006. The final study population consisted of 139 CSA teachers from 16 schools across the USA.Overall, teachers indicated that roles in the professional category were and should be performed more often than community and school roles. The school and community categories were deemed equal to each other (actually and ideally). Teachers indicated that community, school, and professional roles in CSAs were complex, consisting of 31 roles (7 community, 10 school, and 14 professional). A ranked and tiered inventory of the 31 valid roles and a portrait of the CSA music teacher were created. As an aggregate, teachers ideally desired to increase the frequency with which they performed the following roles: Advocate, Attendee of Faculty/Committee Meetings, Attendee of School Activities, Performer/Demonstrator/Coach, and Student/Lifelong Learner. As an aggregate, teachers desired to decrease the frequency with which they performed the role of School Leader. Teachers indicated balance in regard to modeling, performing, parental education, discipline, tradition, and leadership.Implications for CSA administrators, personnel of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, teacher educators and trainers, and future research include: finding paths to develop part-time leaders, developing content for coursework and professional development specific to CSA teachers, and promoting awareness that investment in current/future teachers should be given similar value and energy to fundraising efforts. In order to educate/train future CSA teachers, coursework which includes preparation as instrumental/pedagogical experts, as well as content which provides training in educational philosophy, history, curriculum development, role modeling, culture, and technology were recommended.