What is it about?
The purpose of this study was to examine music education alumni perceptions of their undergraduate degree experiences, career attainment, career satisfaction, and the extent to which various educational, career, and/or demographic variables increased the likelihood of them remaining in the teaching profession.
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Why is it important?
Increased alumni satisfaction with their collegiate education was associated with a 111% increase in the likelihood of them staying in the music teaching profession, and increased feelings of societal contribution were associated with a 256% increase in the likelihood of them staying. Also interesting: There were no significant differences among music education "stayers" and "leavers" regarding satisfaction with pay/earnings or overall job satisfaction. Maybe the grass isn't greener?
Perspectives
I enjoyed collaborating with my Ph.D. student Michael Bradley on this project. Hopefully it lends a different perspective on the early career teacher attrition/retention issue.
Josef Hanson
University of Memphis
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Early-Career Music Teachers: Collegiate Experiences, Job Satisfaction, and Predictors of Retention, Update Applications of Research in Music Education, September 2026, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/87551233261486031.
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