The Status Of In-Service Music Teacher Education At The Middle School Level In Shanghai

This study was to determine the current status of the continued education for in-service music teachers at the middle school in Shanghai and the opinions of in-service music teachers for the improvement of the continued education. Moreover, the factors of teaching years and working location were compared and analyzed.The questionnaire survey and the convenient sampling were applied. The subject consisted of 328 in-service music teachers in nine districts in Shanghai. The data were collected and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Scheffe method.The results were shown as follows:1.In regard of the continued education for in-service music teachers, the primary continued institutions for in-service music teachers were Continued Educations Schools for Teachers. Most teachers have attended continued education more than once; and most of middle schools encouraged their music teachers to participate in continued education. There are three types of curricular forms such as music art topics lectures, practical teaching discussion, and systemic lectures in music theory. The most often training methods were lecture instruction and case study. As far as the aspect of the financial source, the music teacher, the education administrative departments, and middle schools evenly shared for the cost; however, most of music teachers paid slightly more than the other two did.2.In regard of teaching techniques, more than half in-service music teachers hope that they can receive more instructions in four fields which are "multi-media technologies applicable in music classes", "musical activities organization skills", and "improvised piano accompaniment playing". In regard of teaching organization and training courses, more than half in-service music teachers hope that three more courses can be opened for them, which are "chorus organization skills", "bands organization skills", and "dancing teaching skills".3.The continued education in downtown and suburb areas significantly differ in (1) "syllabus preparation", "teaching language skills", "multimedia application skills", and "improvised piano accompaniment playing", (2) "improving in-service music teachers' research skills" and "improving in-service music teachers' education level", (3) in-service music teachers satisfactory level toward the continued education, and (4) the training discipline toward in-service music teachers. In-service music teachers of different teaching years responded to most survey questionnaire questions without significant difference except the following two questions: (1) Ways of evaluation for the in-service music teachers after continued education. Those having 11-20 years of teaching experience preferred to "open-book examination and/or daily practice rather than close-book examination or writing paper" than those having 6-10 years of teaching experience. (2) Problems of current continued education. In-service music teachers having 0-5 years of teaching experience rather than the others thought the major problems were "simple training content, less of training focused topic, and lack of up-to-date training methods".