The Effect of Professional Growth Opportunities as Determined by California Public High School Instrumental Music Teachers
Improving the quality of teaching and instruction is a continuing challenge for schools and teachers. To meet this challenge the State of California requires all teachers to participate in professional growth activities by showing evidence of 150 hours of professional growth every five years (Ed. Code §44277-2b). The purposes of this study were to examine the professional growth habits and needs of high school instrumental music teachers in the state of California, and the effectiveness of current professional growth opportunities as perceived by those teachers. In addition, this study examined the implications of professional growth opportunities for these music teachers and the various state music organizations that serve them. A survey instrument explored the following questions. (a) What types of professional growth activities are high school instrumental music teachers attending in order to satisfy the state professional growth requirement? (b) What professional growth activities do high school instrumental music teachers find effective? (c) To what extent do high school instrumental music teachers participate in non-traditional professional growth activities such as peer mentoring and music education research? (d) Is there a difference in professional growth activities among high school instrument music teachers who work in urban, rural, and suburban areas of the state? (e) What are the implications of this study for the state music education organizations? (f) What are the implications for district leaders with regard to providing staff development for the high school instrumental music teachers? Findings indicate that the respondents attend a variety of professional growth activities. The most valuable and most effective activities were those relating directly to music: Hosting a Guest Clinician or Teacher, Observing Other Rehearsals, attending Music Conferences, Concerts, and Music Workshops. The least valuable and least effective activities were Non-Music Workshops, On-Campus Inservice, County Office Workshops, District Sponsored Workshops, and Non-Music Conferences. Implications are examined in chapter 5. Written comments included in the appendix show teacher preferences for having more opportunities for personal interactions with their music colleagues.
California, instrumental music teachers, Leadership studies, music education, professional growth opportunities, public high schools
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