Early childhood and elementary music education: the administrator's view

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate early childhood and elementary school administrators' views of music education in their schools and the influences on those views. The following research questions guided this study: (a) How do early childhood and elementary administrators view the role of general music in their schools? (b) What do early childhood and elementary administrators report to influence their views of music in their schools? To explore these research questions a descriptive, cross sectional survey design was created using Qualtrics. The population for this study was early childhood and elementary administrators (N = 49) in the state of Delaware from public, private, and charter schools. Due to a return rate of 15% (E-mailed N = 330; Completed N = 49) the results of this study may not be generalized to a larger population and apply only to the participants who completed the survey. Overall, administrators demonstrated they are in support of music education in their schools. They denoted that their students received music instruction on a weekly basis from a music specialist with a variety of music resources. Additionally, all administrators included funding for general music in their school budget. Administrators in this study believed music instruction gives opportunities for self-expression and creativity. Administrators report they participated in general music as children, purchase music, and attend performances as adults; therefore music exposure and experiences influence administrators' views.