Music student teachers: Pre-student teaching concerns and post-student teaching perceptions over a 5-year period: Pre-student teaching concerns and post-student teaching perceptions over a 5-year period

In this descriptive study, we examined self-reported concerns of 159 music student teachers pre- and post-student teaching, over a period of 5 years. Resulting comments (N = 867) were analyzed on the basis of (a) stages of teacher concern (focus on self, subject matter [music and teaching], and students) modeled after Fuller and Bown and (b) emerging categories of concern compared with those identified by Madsen and Kaiser. Stages of concern were reliably identifiable across all comments. Teachers, as predicted, began student teaching with more self (56%) and fewer student (4%) comments. Post-student teaching comments resulted in fewer self (33%) and more student (20%) mentions. Categorization of concerns indicated that pre- and post- student teachers shared some concerns (applying knowledge, discipline, confidence) but showed marked differences in other areas (cut out for teaching, information about students, administrative duties). Pre-student teaching categories were similar to those reported by Madsen and Kaiser a decade earlier; post-student teaching comments differed.