Competencies, instructional support, institutional support, and peer support associated with the implementation of music activities by novice preschool teachers

The primary aim of this study is to examine factors associated with the implementation of music activities by novice preschool teachers in the central region of Malaysia. The objectives of this study included: (a) investigating the difference in implementation of music activities in relation to selected demographic variables; (b) investigating the correlation of competencies, instructional support, institutional support, and peer support with implementation of music activities; and (c) testing the model of novice preschool teachers' implementation of music activities. A survey was adopted in the form of a questionnaire distributed to 390 novice preschool teachers who had taught for five years or less. Descriptive analysis, t-Test, ANOVA, Pearson product moment correlation, factor analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were employed for data analysis. All selected demographic variables did not have any significant difference in the overall implementation of music activities. However, there was a significant difference in singing activities. Novice teachers who were trained with a minor music option had a higher implementation than those without a minor music option. There was a significant and moderately positive relationship of teachers' implementation of music activities with teachers' competencies, instructional support, institutional support, and peer support. Based on SEM analysis, the model of novice preschool teachers' implementation of music activities fit to the data. This study made a unique contribution to research by developing a framework which focuses on the novice teachers' implementation of music activities in preschool for future research. This study also highlighted some implications and recommendations for policy and practice toward the betterment of implementation of preschool music activities ..