Classroom teacher candidates' attitudes towards classical music

This research aims to reveal music listening habits of classroom teacher candidates and to identify prominent types of music selections. It also aims to explore the candidates? attitudes towards classical music in the beginning and in the end of the music listening training period.The population of the study consists of the students who are studying in the 2009-2010 academic year at the second class of the Elementary Classroom Teaching department of Faculty of Education of Afyon Kocatepe University. In this study, a pre and post-test model is applied with a control group.Statistical analysis of the obtained data is done using factor analysis, cluster analysis, paired-samples t-test. Attitude scale part of the questionnaire developed by the researcher is used as a measurement tool. Furthermore, a music listening education program is prepared according to the purposes of the research.After the application of the pre-test to the entire study group, the experimental group provided with the music listening education for a period of ten weeks. The control group isn?t received any special training of music listening. After the educational period, post-test is applied to both groups.In light of the collected data, the classroom teacher candidates' position on classical music is found between uncertainty and participation. In order to better analyze the attitude of the working group after the educational period, a cluster analysis is applied to the entire group. Control group does not allocate any clusters whereas the experimental group is divided into two sets including candidates with moderate and good attitude levels. According to the post-test, a statistically significant increase is recorded in the score of the moderate cluster of the experimental group.Keywords: Music, attitude, listening to music