A One-Day Training Workshop has the Ability to Motivate Teachers and Bring about Real Change in Teaching Practice: A Case Study

Abstract

In this article the researcher sought to find out if a single, short continuing professional development music workshop could cause any change in the classroom and what effect it would have on the professional and personal development of the attendees. The article focused on a case study that described the emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual impact that a training workshop for black musically untrained pre-school teachers had on a pre-school teacher from an Informal Settlement in Germiston, East Rand of Johannesburg. Observation at her pre-school site and an in-depth interview revealed the meaning, importance and function the music training had for her. The findings showed that the music training provided this teacher with ways of understanding, developed her music skills and developed her self-esteem. The study highlights how the methodology that was used to expose a pre-school teacher who have never been exposed to Western classical music before changed her attitude towards this specific music style, developed her creativity and motivated her to such an extent that she felt competent and confident to teach Western classical music. The results of the evaluation suggest that a short-duration, well- structured music education workshop based on practical and interactive teaching ideas, presented to teachers with no previous experience of Western classical music can impact their learning positively in the long run. The research found that short induction sessions by experienced presenters, can change teachers’ attitudes towards Western classical music and motivate them in a positive way and also uplift their personal development in the process.