Training the Non-Specialist Music Teacher: Insights from an Indonesian Action Research Study

To improve non-specialist music teachers’ knowledge and skills in teaching music, they need training to re-understand the teaching materials and to change their way of teaching music to avoid errors in applying music practices to students. This research report exemplifies collaborative work in making critical-reflective stages and applying each stage to elementary school teachers through training programs in an action research. The results indicated that non-specialist music teachers were able to develop their knowledge of basic music theory as teaching material and to develop skills in using media and applications supporting music teaching. The training of teachers and providing information about the impact of their teaching ways to the students’ future musical competence were able to change the way they teach music. Teachers need to be given good attention, such as by providing development programs from the government so that the process and effectiveness of teaching music can be improved continuously.