Teachers College Columbia University

Sean M. JackmanEd.D. Student

Positionality and the Lives of Elementary General Music

Teachers

I am an elementary general music teacher with almost fifteen years in the profession.

I have felt isolated at various times in my career and am aware that many of my musiccolleagues share this same feeling.

Elementary music teachers find

themselves in a unique position in their school. There is need for a better understanding of music teachers’ positioning in their school and how it affects the quality of their professional life and ultimately their teaching.

The purpose of this study is to use the

lens of positionality to investigate the professional lives of elementary general music teachers.

What is the relationship of music teacher positionality to the professional lives of elementary general music teachers?

1. How is positionality defined in the teaching spaces of elementary music teachers?

2. How is perceived positionality defined in how music teachers go about their daily routines?

3. How is positionality defined in the interactions between teachers and stakeholders?

4. What negotiations are used by teachers to navigate power and identity issues in their schools to create community?

1. The lens of positionality

Alcoff (1988) – feminist term, not static or narrowly defined, influenced by place (position)

Ellsworth (1997) – mode of address

Kezar & Lester (2010) 3 components – shifting, overlapping identities - power - context or situatedness

2. Studies using lens of positionality

Kezar and Lester (2010) – positionality of faculty at a community college moving to servant leadership

Zhai (2010) – position of women faculty and theiruse of technology

Rainville & Jones (2008) – literacy specialist in pubic school

Sultana (2007) and Allen (2005) – researcher position

3. Studies using lenses related to positionality

Sindberg and Lipscomb (2005)– isolation of musicteachers in Illinois (survey)

Lortie’s Schoolteacher (1975) – egg crate isolation,psychological isolation, adaptive isolation

Bakkenes et al. (1999) - Dutch primary schools, communication network analysis: a group member, group linker or isolate

ParticipantsK-5 Music Teachers in my current

school district.

Data CollectionSurvey to find potential teachers to

interview in-depth.

InterviewsWith elementary music teachers who

teach in my current school district

Field notesResearcher field notes during data

collection (between interviews)

JournalingResearcher reflections

RQ1: How is positionality defined in the

teaching spaces of elementary music teachers?

How would you describe the work environment in your school? (Interview Question #1) How does the way the school or school district delivers music instruction (for example, length of each music class) affect your position in your school? (Interview Question #3)

RQ2: How is perceived positionality defined

in how music teachers go about their dailyroutines?

Tell me about the kinds of decisions that you make which affect your own teaching situation.

(Interview Question #6)

In what ways does your position at school affect your ability to do your job well?

(Interview Question #16)

RQ3: How is positionality defined in the interactions between teachers and stakeholders?

Tell me about your relationships with your colleagues in your school. (Interview Question #17)

How does the creation of the school schedule for planning time (when classroom teachers have music, art, gym and library) affect teacher relationships? (Interview Question #22)

RQ4: What negotiations are used by teachersto navigate power and identity issues in their schools and school districts to create

community?

Tell me about your relationship to other music teachers in our school district. (Interview Question #29)

Describe the Professional Learning Community (PLC) time that you have with music colleagues.

(Interview Question #33)

Tell me about PLCs that are formed with teachers who do not teach music. (Interview Question #36)