Trends in Music Technology In Illinois Public Schools:A Preliminary Report

Sam Reese

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Organization of Presentation

Purpose and Need Method Preliminary Results Questions

Purpose of the research

What are the perceived training needs of music educators in technology?

What are the ways that music teachers and students are using technology?

What is the amount, location, and frequency of access to music technology by music teachers and students?

What types of software, hardware, and networking are in active use by music teachers and students?

To what extent have the training needs, uses of technology, access to technology, and types of software and hardware changed in the prior four-year period?

Need for the research

To focus pre-service and inservice teacher education in technology

To determine progress toward technology standards (MENC, State Boards of Education)

Findings of Related Studies

Administrative use dominates Instructional use limited to 33% of teachers Limited training experience Limited access to training High interest in training

Grijalava, 1986; Meltzer, 2001; Sehmann & Hayes, 1996; Taylor & Deal, 1999, 2000; Treadway, 1994

Method Mailed questionnaire to stratified,

systematic sample of Illinois K-12 public schools

Database of 3,897 schools from ISBE Sample was a stratified, weighted sample of

12.5% of elementary, 25% of middle schools and 25% of high schools.

Yielding a final sample size of 614 schools

Questionnaire Development Revision of 1998 questionnaire

– Discussions with experienced music educators

– Revised to reflect these ideas and technology changes

Expert Critique– Critiqued by 5 experienced survey researchers in music

technology

Final Form– 43 closed and open-ended items

– Divided into six sections

Data Collection and Response Rate

Three mailings in January, February, March Follow-up phone calls in April Preliminary return of 53% (325 of 614)

– Elementary 55%– Middle 55%– High 48%

Results - Training

“Above average” ability– 41% 1998– 49% 2002

Desire more training– 94% 1998– 94% 2002

Results - Ways Used

Use computer as teacher?– 76% 1998– 95% 2002

Use while working with students?– 71% 2002

Results - Ways Used

Use for music purposes– 25% 1998– 49% 2002

Use notation software– 26% 1998– 38% 2002

Results - Access

Computer in music area– 45% 1998– 80% 2002

Internet access in music area– 16% 1998– 74% 2002