Generalist or specialist music teachers? Lessons from two continents

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss a perennial question in the field of music teacher education: is school music education better served with generalist or specialist teachers? To answer this question, we discuss the educational policy reforms implemented in two African countries, Uganda and South Africa, and in Spain as well. We also discuss how teacher education is implemented in these countries–in the case of Spain, in the lights of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)–in what refers music teacher education and its professional development. From this policy analysis at curriculum and teacher education levels, we raise implications for teacher preparation and subsequent professional development of music generalist and specialist teachers. In our conclusion, we deduce that students may be well served with either generalist or specialist music teachers as long as they are prepared to move content forward, to meet contemporary global student needs.

Keywords:

• Generalist vs. specialist music teachers
• music teacher education
• music education
• professional development

Notes

1 Press release of the Junta de Andalucía regional government. June, 24, 2019. Available at http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/presidencia/portavoz/educacion/143678/ConsejeriaEducacionDeporte/curriculo/primaria/secundaria/horario/lengua/matematicas/ingles/educacionfisica.

2 Information available in the prior press release.

3 Information available at https://escuelaposgrado.ugr.es/static/EP_Management/*/showCard/S12/56/1. This information refers to the University of Granada master degree, but the situation is similar in most of Spain.