ABSTRACT
This chapter opens with a rationale for undergraduate research in music education. Benefits specific to pre-service teachers include enhanced abilities to make informed instructional decisions, improved attitudes toward music content, and changes to the way pre-service teachers plan to teach in their future classrooms. Next, we explore the need to re-classify teaching portfolios, often required in teacher education programs, as research. Finally we offer an overview of relevant topics in music education along with representative samples. Topics include the evaluation of teaching effectiveness, pedagogical issues and the measurement of student learning, the National Core Arts Standards, students with special needs, classroom management, motivation and retention, early childhood issues, and advocacy.
