Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare preservice (n = 208) and inservice (n = 73) elementary educators' perceptions of goals surrounding the elementary general music curriculum. Teachers were asked to respond to a series of instructional goals, using a Likert-type scale, related to one of five general areas: entertainment/recreation, expressive/creative, interdisciplinary, musical, and sociocultural. Although responses toward all areas were moderately positive, preservice and inservice educators differed in their values. Mean scores for the preservice teachers were more positive for each goal area except the musical category. Inservice teachers placed significantly more value on musical goals than preservice teachers. There were significant differences between groups in all goal areas except the sociocultural. Those participants who claimed to have had positive experiences with elementary music as children placed higher value on all areas of school music instruction than did those with neutral experiences.