Music Teacher Educators’ Experiences of Pregnancy and Motherhood During the Pre-tenure Years: A Phenomenology

Abstract

The pre-tenure period is a critical time within the career span of an academic that overlaps key years within the life span of a mother. The purpose of this study was to describe music teacher educators’ lived experience of pregnancy and motherhood during their pre-tenure years while in a tenure-track position. In this descriptive phenomenology, I engaged a purposive sample of nine music teacher educators who were pregnant during their pre-tenure years in a series of interviews to identify the invariant structures of the experience. Music teacher educator mothers (MTEMs) identified motherhood as a life-altering experience that expands one’s identity and enriches their lives at home and at work. Negotiating the roles of mother and academic is a juggling act for music teacher educators, managed with the development of new tools, various supports, and fated occurrences. Elements that were seemingly unique to MTEMs’ experiences included the impact of maternal age on family planning, challenges associated with an MTEM’s teaching schedule, and the physicality required of their position. Implications for policy, mentoring, and allyship are shared.