Student Teachers’ Music Competences Acquired in Initial Class Teacher Education

Abstract

The paper studies student teachers’ competences needed for teaching music in lower grades of primary school (ages 7‒11), acquired and developed in initial [undergraduate] class teacher education at faculties of education in Serbia. An appropriate approach to teaching young learners and achieving high standards in teaching music depends on class teachers’ professional competencies to organise classroom activities in music lessons and to foster the development of children’s music potential.

In the system of class teacher education, music culture belongs to an area of specific knowledge and skills. In initial [college/undergraduate] class teacher education, student teachers attend a large number of general education courses and pedagogical-psychological courses, while their music competencies are developed in music courses – Vocal and Instrumental Music Course, a basic course in teaching music, and the course Methodology of Teaching Music Culture. The paper aims to study senior student teachers’ beliefs about and attitudes towards their professional competencies in music. The sample consisted of student teachers attending academic year four at the Faculty of Education in Jagodina and the Faculty of Education in Uzice. The study objectives involved a quantitative analysis of student teachers’ beliefs about and attitudes to acquiring music competencies in Vocal and Instrumental Music Course and in the course Methodology of Teaching Music Culture, and their beliefs about and attitudes towards practical training for teaching music culture. The results of the study show that the participants hold positive beliefs about getting appropriate training to teach music culture. The study results can serve as a basis for modernising and improving certain segments of student teacher training for teaching the school subject Music Culture.