The purpose of this study was to understand the process of music teacher large-scale conference professional development (PD) implementation (i.e., the integration of conference-derived learnings into classroom practice). The context of this investigation was two national music conferences, the Midwest Clinic and the National Association for Music Education National In-Service Conference, and one state music conference, the Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention. Using purposive maximum variation sampling, active music teachers (n = 32) who each attended one of these conferences were recruited. Data collection occurred in a series of three participant interview phases, staggered according to which conference participants attended and when each conference was held. Twenty-eight participants were interviewed twice, and four participants were interviewed once, yielding a total of 60 interview transcripts, which were then openly, axially, and selectively coded in accordance to grounded theory method. The principal finding, the cycle of music teacher large scale conference professional development implementation (C-MTPDI), revealed an implementation process in three phases. First, the consideration phase (before/during conference) entailed needs assessment, direct engagement, change articulation, and, for some participants, deterrent factors/contingencies. Second, the realization phase (immediate post-conference) included translation, integration, and recalibration. Third, and finally, the decision phase (3-5 weeks post-conference) included evaluation. The core category, or main theme of the research, was seeking convergence: relevance, practicability, and impact. Contextual conditions included PD worldview and PD policy environment. Avenues for future scholarship include clarifying differences in design and effectiveness among and within music-specific PD models, more fully understanding the status of large-scale conference PD in music education and its effect on practice, and theorizing PD implementation in non-conference contexts. Practical implications include developing new theory-aligned PD policies, putting into place more robust infrastructures of implementation support for large-scale conference attendees, addressing PD funding inequities between teachers in music and non-music disciplines, and helping practitioners to newly conceive "one-off" PD events (e.g., large-scale conferences) as sustainable investments in long-range professional growth.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc1248474 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | West, Justin J. |
| Contributors | Powell, Sean Robert, Taylor, Donald Mount, 1961-, Henry, Warren, Parker, Elizabeth Cassidy |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | vii, 182 pages : illustrations, Text |
| Rights | Public, West, Justin J., Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. |
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