Music teacher beliefs and classroom environments

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine what music teachers believe "should" be happening in their classrooms and what they say people "will see" happening in their classrooms, with regard to "informal music learning," as defined by researcher Lucy Green (2008, 2016). In this mixed methods study, participants (N=79) completed an optional, twenty question survey ranking their beliefs and perceived classroom activities on a five- point scale. Using factorial analysis, the results suggested a relationship between teacher beliefs and their perceived classroom activities, especially with regard to student choice and the role of teacher planning for activities. Furthermore, the results suggested that teachers who have more flexibility in their classroom activities may be more open to informal learning practices.