What music teacher will I be? A case study on the teaching philosophies of last-year pre-service Swedish music teachers

Abstract

Written teaching philosophies are a common part of applications for music teaching positions. However, their contents are not commonly addressed in the music-education research literature. At the present study, I aim to explore the beliefs in practicing the profession as expressed in those statements and based on the case of last-year pre-service music teachers at a Swedish university. The results showed four different areas of concern: methodology-related, self-related, curriculum-related and student-related aspects. Furthermore, I discuss the impossibility to classify the underlying philosophies within the traditional ones in music education and the implications for the professional world.