Transforming the Challenges of Improvisation for Sacramento Elementary Music Teachers

Despite the widespread consensus among music teachers that improvisation is a crucial skill for children to learn, there have been multiple challenges integrating improvisation into daily teaching practice in general elementary music classrooms. This research, conducted across multiple public schools in the Greater Sacramento Area Unified School District, aimed to identify these challenges and provide actionable solutions based on teacher feedback to improve the situation. Using phenomenological research design as explained by Creswell, this study analyzed, synthesized, and identified patterns of experience among general elementary music teachers through observations, interviews, and collected artifacts. The study found that lack of time, practical resources, relatable training, and ongoing long-term support were among the key challenges general elementary music teachers face in integrating improvisation into their daily teaching practice. The study also found that general elementary music teachers who receive professional development training on pedagogical improvisation techniques based on their feedback through a flexible framework had the potential to increase confidence to incorporate more improvisational activities in their daily teaching. This ongoing research furthers insight into the actional direction of professional development workshops for general elementary music teachers focused on music improvisation pedagogy integrated with daily music activities inside the classroom. The issue that remains is the need for an increase in flexible resources for music teachers to include improvisation in the music classroom with confidence.