An Investigation of Piano Training in Higher Education and Suggestions for Preparing Secondary School Music Teachers in Taiwan

Author: Hsiao-Fen Chen(Department of Music, National Taiwan Normal University)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 45
Date：October 2000
Pages：67-87
DOI：10.6210/JNTNULL.2000.45.05

Abstract：

The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between preservice training and inservice practice in Taiwan. More specifically, this study examines piano requirements, types of piano instruction, and piano-related course offerings in higher education, as well as junior high school music teachers' perceptions of their piano training and the use of the piano in general music teaching. This study provides recommendations to establish national consistency for Taiwan's teacher education programs that consider the practical piano needs of secondary school teachers.
Two questionnaires were developed: one was sent to chairpersons of music departments at nine universities which have been involved in secondary school teacher education since the implementation of the 1994 Teacher Act; the other was sent to 241 junior high schools randomly selected from 721 schools. From each of these schools, one music teacher was surveyed. The valid return rate reached 100%(N=9) from the first questionnaire and 79.32%(N=188) from the second questionnaire.
The major findings are: (1) higher education in Taiwan increasingly focuses on preparing teachers, yet the goal of training general music teachers is only an affiliated one in applied music degree programs, and is not reflected in undergraduate degree piano requirements; (2) the chairpersons' attitudes toward group piano instruction tend to be negative, and the potential effectiveness of group piano teaching in preparing general music teachers is not recognized; (3) "sight-reading" "harmonization," and "accompanying," were ranked as the three most important piano skills in general music teaching by both chairpersons and music teachers; (4) junior high school teachers detailed a need for university courses that address functional skills such as "accompanying," "keyboard harmony," and "improvisation."
Recommendations include: (1) implementing a certificate program that addresses requirements both in professional education and specialized areas in applied music degree programs; (2) establishing minimum standards in music performing competencies to ensure national consistency in teacher training; (3) teaching courses in small groups, that stress functional keyboard skills for the benefit of future teachers; (4) encouraging more interaction between leaders in higher education and teachers in the field to reduce discrepancies between preservice training and inservice demands.

Keywords：functional keyboard skills, inservice teaching demands, piano proficiency, preservice training

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