An integrated approach to instructional and management techniques in undergraduate music teacher education: A theoretical framework proposal

Abstract

Undergraduate music teacher education programs often teach instructional methods and classroom and ensemble management in separate courses. However, during practicum and after graduation, pre-service teachers are required to carry out these two tasks simultaneously in the classroom. Drawing on the author’s master’s research on the integrated use of storytelling, songs, games, and instrument design in preschool music education, this article proposes a theoretical framework applicable at the university level. The central argument of the framework is that, in music lessons, narrative, song, movement, and production are not alternative activities but mutually reinforcing phases of the same learning process, while management is the condition that enables these phases to function coherently without disruption. The article examines Uçan’s definition of music education, the developmental approaches of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bruner, and the pedagogical approaches of Orff, Kodály, and Dalcroze in relation to this argument. Instructional techniques (singing, rhythm, instrumental activities, listening, and improvisation) are considered within the same continuum as classroom and rehearsal management. Preschool education is not treated as the sole field of application of the framework, but rather as one of the first educational levels encountered by pre-service music teachers. The study is theoretical in nature; it proposes empirical testing and makes no claim of providing empirical evidence.