Transition from Student to Teacher-Student Teaching: The Capstone Experience

Student teaching is the capstone experience of undergraduate music teacher preparation, and in-service and preservice music teachers consider it the most valuable part of preservice teacher education. Researchers have examined student teachers' skills, pedagogical content knowledge, and reflective practice. Other topics have included the student teaching triad members (cooperating teacher, university supervisor, student teacher), teacher identity, and preparedness for teaching. A current review of the research literature on music student teaching not only provides a summary of extant research but also reveals existing gaps in the scholarship and therefore direction for further inquiry. With those aims in mind, this article examines selected music education scholarship in the area of student teaching with particular emphasis on two areas of contemporary research literature: student teachers' knowledge and development and the people and placements in student teaching.