Beginning music teachers’ perspectives on the effectiveness of a music teacher preparation programme in South Korea

Abstract A potentially effective approach to evaluating the effectiveness of teacher preparation programmes is to explore the perspectives of recent graduates from preservice teacher preparation programmes. Thus, this study examines the perceptions of beginning music teachers in South Korea regarding how their music teacher education prepared them for actual practice. Data were collected from five participants through individual interviews and class observations. The participants identified the three learning experiences most helpful in transitioning from university to teaching practice: peer teaching, writing a master’s thesis, and interacting with peers from various backgrounds. In addition, the data revealed that the least helpful learning experiences were a disconnection between theory and practice, early fieldwork unrelated to music teaching, and methods classes that did not cover cutting-edge technology.