Cognitive Processes of Preservice Music Teachers During Observation of Music Instruction

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the focus of attention and reflective thinking in undergraduate music education students' retrospective reports of videotaped teaching episodes. Following observation of six short videotape excerpts of three experienced instrumental music teachers, subjects ( n = 24) from a medium-sized American University generated retrospective reports of their thinking during observation. Transcripts were segmented into thought units and coded using the Multiple Protocol Analysis System (MPAS) software. Frequency distributions were calculated for focus of attention and reflective thinking categories. Subjects focused 64% of their observations on the teacher, 25% on the learner, 6% on the environment and 5% on the subject matter. Types of reflective thinking demonstrated by the subjects included 28% about an aspect of teaching and learning, 25% explanation of an observed event, 22% problem recognition and 11% solution generation. The results indicate that preservice teachers tend to focus their observations on the teacher and they engage in varying levels of reflective thinking during observation. Implications for future research and teacher education are proposed for broadening preservice teachers' focus of attention and reflective thinking during observation.

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