Changes in Perceptions of Confidence in Teaching Music by Pre-service Students

The purpose of this study was 1) to determine if a Primary Music Teaching Methods (PMTM) course can make a significant difference in perceptions of confidence in teaching music by pre-service students; 2) if it can, which aspects in the course influence changes in their perceptions of confidence; and 3) to examine whether formal and informal musical experiences are significantly related to changes in perceptions of confidence. Participants were 48 pre-service students in Primary Education programs at a university in Sydney, Australia. Pre-test and post-test questionnaires were administered in order to gather relevant data. The PMTM course was taught by the investigator for 10 weeks. The results showed that: 1) the PMTM course made a significant difference in perceptions of confidence in teaching music by pre-service students; 2) a key factor in building the students' perceptions of confidence was individual music teaching presentations; and 3) greater changes in perceptions of confidence occurred among students with low levels of formal and informal musical experiences. Therefore, it is suggested that primary music teaching methods course include individual music teaching presentations to build pre-service students' confidence in teaching music by giving them opportunities to teach music in a supportive environment.