Understanding the Process of Proximate Change Following Music Teachers' Participation in Large-Scale Conferences: A Grounded Theory

The purpose of this study was to understand the process of proximate change following music teachers' participation in large-scale conferences (i.e., the near-term integration of conference learnings into classroom practice). I conducted 60 interviews with 32 active music teachers who attended three selected music conferences: the Midwest Clinic, the National Association for Music Education In-Service Conference, and the Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention. Three waves of grounded theory analysis (Corbin & Strauss, 2015) revealed a three-phase process: consideration, realization, and decision. The core category was identified as convergence and represented participants' pursuit of relevance, practicability, and impact in their conference professional development (PD) experiences. Contextual conditions included participants' perceptions of and histories with PD, as well as the influence of policy on their PD participation. Dimensionalized quotes, an integrative diagram, theoretical propositions, implications, and recommendations for further research are put forward.