Muska Mosston(1925-1994), who was a physical educator, introduced the Spectrum of
teaching styles in 1966. His theory about teaching, which identifies a unifying framework that
delineates alternative teaching/learning styles, has been referenced many times in physical
education teaching-method textbooks since its introduction.
Mosston recognized that ideas or principles in pedagogy are generally presented in
opposition to the status quo, such as individualization vs. socialization, cognitive vs. affective
movement, direct vs. indirect instruction, and the humanists vs. behaviorists. Based on this type
of approach, which we call a \'versus\' approach, educators are asked to abandon existing
theories as new theories are introduced. Mosston\'s identification of the limitations of the versus
approach led him to study a unifying framework, one that would include and link all ideas
into a system. Such a non-versus system honors the full range of educational ideas, thus
rejecting none.
The Spectrum based on a non-versus approach provides a universal theory about teaching.
This idea can be applied to the field of music education because it offers a logical and
comprehensive body of knowledge about teaching /learning.
The purpose of this study is to apply the Spectrum of teaching styles to music education as
a new paradigm for a non-versus approach, to propose content of a music teaching/learning
spectrum for improvement of music teaching/learning, and to develop the proposition
specifically as a music teaching/learning model in a unifying framework.
In this paper, the 11 teaching styles that Mosston suggested in the Spectrum have been
modified to 10 teaching styles for a music teaching/learning spectrum. Each teaching style is
developed in a relationship with the three essential elements of any teaching behavior(teacher,
learner and content) with a diagram showing the teacher/learner relationship, decision making
and the characteristics of music learning.