Policy Dispositions Among Music Administrators in Higher Education

Abstract

Music teachers commonly lack basic awareness of and skill in navigating various education policy areas. One explanation for this lack of policy acumen is the general absence of policy content within the preservice music teacher curriculum. While music teacher educators have primary responsibility for curricular decisions, music education program leaders and music school administrators who regularly operate within policy realms might be expected to indirectly influence policy integration as part of undergraduate and graduate music education courses. To test this theory, we surveyed administrators who influence and finalize these curricular decisions. Respondents tended to have modest policy dispositions, which was consistent with similar work done with different populations and stakeholders. Given this finding, we provide suggestions to help garner more interest in policy among music teacher educators and administrators in an attempt to make the topic more germane to both pre- and inservice music teachers.