Date

12-16-2025

Department

School of Music

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education (PhD)

Chair

Brian Stiffler

Keywords

vocal pedagogy, undergraduate curriculum, music education, choral music education, vocal technique

Disciplines

Music

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory research is to investigate choir teachers’ perceptions of their undergraduate vocal pedagogy training. The problem is that choir teachers may enter the profession with insufficient vocal pedagogy training to teach their choral ensembles adequately. The rationale for this study is to help close the gap by creating a vocal pedagogy curriculum designed for preservice vocal music educators. The foundation of the created curriculum is the participants’ perception of their undergraduate training. The research questions that guided this study are as follows: (1) How do secondary-level choral conductors’ perceptions of their undergraduate vocal pedagogy training influence how vocal pedagogy is incorporated into the choral rehearsal, and (2) How can secondary-level choral conductors’ perceptions of their undergraduate vocal pedagogy training influence the design of a vocal pedagogy curriculum? The data collection method for this project included a survey, in-depth interviews, classroom observations, and a focus group. The researcher collected and analyzed the data for themes and codes. The four categories that emerged from the data included teacher background and behaviors, ensemble demographic information, vocal pedagogy in action, and the evolving voice. From these categories, a grounded theory was discovered.

Download

Included in

Music Commons

Share

COinS