General education classroom teachers' and music specialists' perceived ability to implement the National Standards for Music Education

The purpose of this study was to examine teacher perceptions about pertinent factors affecting the successful teaching of the National Standards for Music. Subjects were music specialists and fourth grade generalists from public elementary schools in consenting school districts from throughout the State of Florida. The two groups were administered a survey to glean opinions of the feasibility of implementing each of the nine National Standards for Music by rating seven repeated professional and resource items (contact time, resources, assistance, ability, training, interest, responsibility, and level of assistance). The summed ratings of the dependent variables (consisting of the seven professional and resources items) for each standard were subjected to a two way analysis of variance with repeated measures to determine that significant differences exist with respect to the independent variable of teacher role, with music specialists and general educators as two levels of this variable; and the independent variable of content standard, variable. Statistical significance and interactions were studied within content standards and between music specialists and fourth grade generalists. Results indicate that significant differences exist between music teachers and fourth grade teachers in their perceptions of the feasibility of delivering effective instruction for each standard. Additionally, a significant difference exists between each standard with respect to the overall perceived viability of effective implementation regardless of teacher role. Further, an interaction was identified that indicated differences by both role and standard. More specifically, this research yielded results which indicate that certain standards (History & Culture, Singing, and Analyzing Music) are more feasible for both roles to teach than other standards (Playing Instruments, Improvising, and Composing). It also verified that music specialists are considerably more amenable to the implementation of the nine content standards than the general educators with respect to all seven professional and resource items. Music teachers feel most effective implementing the Evaluating, Listening & Analyzing, and Singing standards while generalists feel most effective implementing the History & Culture, Other Subjects, and Singing standards. Both groups indicated an overall lack of time and resources to effectively teach most standards. Music teachers were less dependent on the assistance of classroom teachers while classroom teachers agreed that they needed the assistance of music teachers to successfully implement most standards.