Enhancing Professional Development for Music Educators Through Podcasting: Exploring the production of a podcast about instrumental music pedagogy

Abstract

When blended with existing approaches to instrumental music pedagogy, podcasts can serve as a versatile tool for disseminating research and informing best practices for busy music educators. This action research thesis focuses on producing a podcast — Take a Cue— and is dedicated to presenting information about instrumental music pedagogy. Through observation of the processes involved in podcast creation and the analysis of educational podcast content, this study seeks to inform educators of the benefits of acquiring knowledge through podcast consumption in order to inspire innovative approaches to the presentation of pedagogy in instrumental music education settings. Research questions were (1) In what ways are podcasts an effective medium for professional development and environmental support for music educators? (2) What is the process of collaboratively producing a series of podcast episodes devoted to instrumental music pedagogy? (3) What is the impact of the podcast on the professional development of the educators involved? The author's role as the host of the podcast adds a unique perspective to the action research methodology used in this paper, highlighting the benefits of utilizing podcasts for professional development in music education.