Epistemological Development and Collaborative Learning: A Hermeneutic Analysis of Music Therapy Students' Experience

Abstract

Undergraduate education must address student's developmental needs, as well as their learning needs. Yet, there has been little discussion regarding music therapy students' epistemological development, how that influences their education and clinical training, and how that understanding can inform educators and clinical supervisors. As part of an introductory music therapy course that was taught using collaborative learning consensus groups, students provided written and verbal comments about their experience and some students agreed to a series of interviews (Luce, 2002). This hermeneutic analysis of that data was based upon Perry's Scheme and Women's Ways of Knowing suggested that (a) the students' comments reflected the various perspectives or positions within the models, (b) the collaborative learning consensus groups facilitated transitions and movement within the models, and (c) there was a need for more research to understand music therapy students' developmental needs, to enhance teaching methods and pedagogy, and to address students' developmental needs as they prepare to enter the profession.