Current music practices and teachers' needs for teaching music in public preschools of South Korea

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the current music practices and teachers' needs for teaching music in public preschools of South Korea. The data were obtained from the public preschools in South Korea, and 66.7% (n = 606) of the total sample (N = 908) responded. The online survey consisted of 42 questions: a Likert-type scales, single and multiple-choice responses, and open-ended questions. The 42 questions regarding the current music practices of public preschools were divided into seven categories according to question content. The majority of teachers stated that their lesson plans included group music activities more than twice a week, lasting less than 30 minutes on average. The most important reason indicated for including music in the curriculum was "enjoyment and recreation." Almost all teachers planned music curriculum with a weekly theme, and they chose songs to complement the theme. Singing and finger play were reported to be the most frequently occurring activities in public preschools. The teachers taught songs with piano accompaniment or a CD, and several common CD collections for music activities were revealed. Rhythmic instruments were the most accessible instruments in a music center, but a piano was the most frequently used by teachers during circle time in the classroom. Teachers identified a lack of ideas for music activity in preschools as a difficulty. The majority of participants requested more applicable and thorough preservice and inservice music education programs for preschool teachers.