Analysis of students’ lived experiences in music school: where does the meaning of learning hide?

Asta Volbikienė,Remigijus Bubnys

doi:10.21277/sw.v1i10.549

Abstract

This qualitative research discloses students’ subjective lived experiences in Lithuanian music school; thus, creating assumptions for implementing meaningful learning in children’s education. Music schools which dominate other non-formal education are not exempted because students’ lived experiences show that learning is given meaning there even before the commencement of formal learning. When formal learning starts, the perception of meaningfulness of learning begins to change. Results demonstrate that usually opposite experiences of those things which are expected are gained after students start learning, and that continuous communication between students and teachers in music schools is an antidote against meaningless teaching and learning.

Highlights

While substantiating the meaningfulness of learning, it is encouraged to reconsider the culture of education in a broader sense, its content and approaches based on the humanist paradigm, i.e. solving all problems while viewing the child at the centre, focusing on one’s person, choices, will, self-expression, regarding one’s interests, motivation, curiosity, etc. (Kouppanou, 2015; Snaza & Weaver, 2015; Stiegler, 2017)
When raising a question of the meaningfulness of learning in non-formal education of children, music schools that occupy a central sector in the common non-formal education system, i.e. involving one of the largest percentage of children and remaining among the most popular areas of non-formal education choices in Lithuania and in Europe (De Alba & Díaz-Gómez, 2018; Mak, Kors, & Renshaw, 2007; Mok, 2011; Ruškus, Žvirdauskas, & Stanišauskienė, 2009), are not an exception
Non-formal education of children in Lithuania is not an ancient area of education in comparison to the European experience, it is characteristic of the lack of science-based cognition and data, insufficiency of assurance of quality of education (Garbauskaitė-Jakimovska, 2018), which raises an intrigue of the investigated context

Summary

Introduction

While substantiating the meaningfulness of learning, it is encouraged to reconsider the culture of education in a broader sense, its content and approaches based on the humanist paradigm, i.e. solving all problems while viewing the child at the centre, focusing on one’s person, choices, will, self-expression, regarding one’s interests, motivation, curiosity, etc. (Kouppanou, 2015; Snaza & Weaver, 2015; Stiegler, 2017). Meaningful education starts focusing on assurance of personal liberation and self-expression by rendering necessary (usually professional) knowledge to individuals (Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action for the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4, UNESCO, 2016; Lisbon European Council, 2000) and by reacting to occurring experiences, i.e. reflecting occurring interactions in transition from engagement of a school student to other participants of education, environment, relevance of activities and satisfaction with performed activities. It does not mean that attention paid to a learner, as the one who brings the future, creating personal meanings of learning and not allowing schools remain within the rhythm of the past (which supposes the approach of this investigation), is diminished, substantially exploring what hides in the process of learning between, what hides in further to-be-manifest interactions in the process of learner’s self-creation (Atmaca, 2018; Prensky, 2012). The ability to talk to oneself and others on what was experienced by us provides favourable conditions for reacting and re-writing scenarios of daily life, enables forming narratives rendering meaning to our lives and the lives of others, reconsidering, generalising, noticing and becoming aware of what was experienced (Schratz & Walker, 1998)

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Conclusion