Teaching for Musical Understanding Through the Core Music Standards: Creating, Performing, and Responding in the Elementary Music Classroom

This study investigates the implementation, assessment, and instructional needs of elementary music educators of the First District of the Kentucky Music Educators Association in teaching for musical understanding through the artistic processes of creating, performing, and responding of the Core Music Standards. The overarching goals of music education are to teach students to become musically literate and independent makers of music. The researcher conducted an online survey and interviews of members to determine their current instructional and assessment practices and their challenges so that an action plan could be created to assist elementary music educators. Through this study, the researcher determined that the members of the First District are diverse in their educational backgrounds and classroom situations, but the main needs of these educators were professional development specific to the core music standards and collaboration opportunities. Additionally, the research revealed the positive influence of the Orff-Schulwerk method on implementing the artistic processes in the elementary classroom. Professional development or certification in this method could provide elementary music educators pedagogy training and the opportunity to network with fellow elementary music educators so that they could build a strong network and support system in their efforts to obtain their goals of music education through teaching for understanding