Several recent studies have been conducted on teacher professional development (PD) but few have focused exclusively on elementary music teacher PD. Prominent music education researchers encourage additional research to provide generalizability across the field. In answer to this call for broadening the base of research in elementary music educator PD, this study surveyed 479 practicing elementary music teachers. The purpose of this investigation is to study elementary music educators to determine what PD activities they need and desire.

This is a cross-sectional descriptive study of elementary music educator PD, particularly studying the needs and wants of elementary general music teachers. The results of this study have the potential to improve PD offerings for music educators by increasing understanding on the part of PD providers of the PD needs and desires of music educators. In this context, the present study will help define the current state of elementary music teacher PD, what offerings they deem are needed, what delivery models are preferred, and how the changing educational climate is affecting elementary music educator PD.

The results of this study show that elementary music teachers believe that PD should be content-specific and performance based. PD that is not related to the music curriculum is often viewed by these teachers as irrelevant and not meaningful. Meaningful PD must focus on the curricular standards for which the music teacher is responsible. The respondents in this study affirmed that practicing teacher leadership by sharing best practices among music colleagues is viewed as an effective means of achieving PD goals and thereby increasing student achievement in music.

Elementary music teachers participate in many professional development activities. Data analysis from this study shows that elementary music teachers incorporate various strategies and methods learned from PD into their teaching practice. Furthermore, the data show a strong desire on the part of elementary music teachers to continue professional development studies in Orff Schulwerk, Kodály methods, teaching with technology, standards-based teaching, and assessment. This dictates that PD providers, from local schools through national music organizations, must make every effort to deliver content-specific PD in these priority areas.