Contributions to Music Education - Vol. 48 - An Intrinsic Case Study of Six Public School Music Educators’ Classroom Management Development

Oct 15, 2026

An intrinsic case study examines how six mid- and late-career public school music educators develop classroom management in varied southeastern U.S. teaching contexts. The study analyzes interviews, field notes, and artifacts to capture educators’ articulation of their growth, their management challenges and successes, and the influence of classroom management development on long-term teaching careers. Findings trace a trajectory from teacher self-understanding toward focused strategies for pacing and relationship-building. Recommendations address mentorship and preservice music education, including integrating social-emotional competence and targeted supports for experienced educators.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Purpose and research focus

Data sources and analysis approach

Emergent themes and recommendations

Background and related literature

Definition and debate on effective strategies

Preservice educator concerns and development

Inservice educator stressors and solutions

Social-emotional competence and coping

Contributions to Music Education Vol. 48 (2023), pp. 79-97. Elizabeth Cassidy Parker Temple University An Intrinsic Case Study of Six Public School Music Educators’ Classroom Management Development The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to explore the classroom management development of six mid-and late-career public school music educators from the southeastern United States . Areas of inquiry included how educators articulated their classroom management development, their management challenges and successes, and how classroom management development influenced participants’ teaching careers . Participants were identified from varied teaching contexts, including general, choral, and instrumental music in different school settings . Interviews, field notes, and artifacts were collected and analyzed to understand participant experiences . Themes revealed a growth trajectory from participants learning about themselves as teachers to a heightened focus on strategies, pacing, and building relationships with students . Over time, participants integrated their teaching styles and routines with classroom management strategies that positively influenced their teaching career . Suggestions for music educators and teacher educators include (a) mentorship development for inservice and preservice teachers,(b) addressing classroom management development as a discrete topic of preservice music teacher education and through consistent field experiences with the same students,(c) incorporating social and emotional competence into preservice teacher coursework, and (d) creating intentional supports for mid-and late-career music educators . Keywords: classroom management, inservice music educators, late-career music educators, mid-career music educators Classroom management is defined as the actions that practitioners engage in to create an environment that supports student socio-emotional and academic learning (Evertson & Weinstein, 2006) . Even though many educators use datasupported procedures such as providing positive reinforcement and establishing classroom guidelines and structure, researchers are reticent to specify one or any combination of strategies that comprise effective classroom management (Little Contributions to Music Education & Akin-Little, 2003) . Recent music education practitioner literature focused on classroom management suggests building relationships with students and families, addressing students’ individual needs, and embracing a culturally responsive teaching mindset to engage all learners (e.g., Haugland, 2013; Koops, 2018; Linsin, 2014; Robison, 2019) . Preservice music educators have consistently rated classroom management a concern (Killian et al., 2013; McDowell, 2007; Potter, 2021a; Regier, 2021) and an important contributor to effective teaching (Rohwer & Henry, 2004; Teachout, 1997) . Within the context of introduction to music education courses, preservice teachers described greater confidence in teaching than in classroom management, viewing music teaching separate from classroom management efficacy (Prichard, 2017). As preservice teachers became inservice teachers, they experienced concerns with self-survival, their teaching situation, and student impact (Fuller & Bown, 1975) . Preservice teachers expressed classroom management challenges mostly in task concerns including pacing and rapport, and viewed classroom management differently among age groups as behavioral norms shifted (Berg & Miksza, 2010; Miksza & Berg, 2013). Researchers highlighted positive preservice teacher growth when they worked through classroom management scenarios (Hedden, 2015) and preservice teachers strengthened their management capabilities during student teaching (Killian et al., 2013) . Inservice music educators have cited several classroom management stressors including classroom organization, large class sizes, concerns for student social and emotional well-being, and the need to constantly engage

FAQs

What was the purpose of the intrinsic case study?

To explore how six mid- and late-career public school music educators develop classroom management, including how they describe their development, their challenges and successes, and how it shapes their teaching careers.

How were the participants’ experiences studied and analyzed?

The study collected interviews, field notes, and artifacts, then analyzed them to understand participants’ classroom management development experiences.

What main themes emerged from participants over time?

Participants showed a growth trajectory from learning about themselves as teachers to greater emphasis on strategies—especially pacing—and building relationships with students, which then positively influenced their teaching career.

Oct 15, 2026

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