Music Teacher Educators Address Diversity in the University

Michael Albertson, Teachers College, Columbia University

This research examines how music teacher educators at three public universities in the United States understand the term diversity, and how these understandings affect the work they do in their departments. Diversity has been a buzzword in music education for almost 50 years, but little research exists as to how practitioners understand this term. Music researchers have advocated for the study of diverse musical genres for decades, both in classrooms, as well as in the university (Anderson, 1992; Blair & Kondo, 2008; Elliot, 1995; Gonzo, 1993; Mark, 1998; Schmidt, 2008; Shehan-Campbell, 2005; Volk, 1998). But social justice researchers understand diversity as much outside of musical contexts as in, referencing the ideas of cultural capital, privilege, and access (Bradley, 2012; Fitzpatrick, 2012; Kindall-Smith, 2013; Koza, 2008; McKoy, 2013; Picower, 2012; Schmidt & McCall, 2014).

In this modified multiple case study, one-hour interviews were conducted with each participant (n=7) and coded using themes that emerged from: A.) the existing professional literature, and; B.) the findings of a pilot study. These interviews suggest that music teacher educators still struggle with the term diversity. Participants often avoided discussing issues of culture and framed diversity in terms of curricula. A notion of musical quality appears to limit moves toward more pluralistic university music education departments. The findings reveal contradictions and uncertainties that continue to limit access for students who have been historically marginalized from such study.

This research presentation will share the perspectives of these music teacher educators in their own words. How do they understand the term diversity in a pluralistic American society? What role does the university, or even a university music education department, have in fostering diversity? How does a mainly musically and culturally-homogenous teacher population prepare students to work with diverse student populations? The findings from this dissertation research have meaningful and immediate implications for music teacher educators, and address the following ASPAs of the Society of Music Teacher Education:

2. Cultural diversity and social justice

3. Music teacher educators: Identification, preparation, and professional

development

11. Teacher recruitment

References

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