Moving away from the habitus? Narrative accounts from classically trained student secondary school music teachers in Wales

In education systems, learning/teaching activities designed based on a specific curriculum for a specific age group are carried out following a work schedule. As long as conditions permit, the work schedule continues without interruption. However, crises such as pandemics disrupt this schedule and lead to problems in the planning and timely-execution of educational processes. The present study aimed to investigate secondary school music teachers' views about online music lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic and to offer outputs that will contribute to the implementation of distance education activities, which are expected to be more widespread in the future. The study employed the general screening model. The study group comprised 24 music teachers working in the central district of Kastamonu, a city in the north-west of Turkey. An interview form was developed to obtain the music teachers' views about the conduct of online lessons. Necessary permissions were obtained, and the interview form was distributed to the participants via e-mail. The data obtained from the interview forms were tried to be interpreted within theme tables by taking the opinions of the experts. The study employed the content analysis method, one of the qualitative data analysis methods. The study found that the majority of secondary school music teachers thought that distance education was not suitable for music lessons. It was also determined that most of the participants had no prior experience with distance education, had difficulty using instruments in online lessons, and had synchronization problems in all music activities. Furthermore, internet connection problems, low motivation on the student side, the inefficiency of online lessons, digital fatigue, and the risk of children being exposed to harmful content on the internet emerged as other problems encountered by the participants.

What makes a great music teacher? What are those characteristics, qualities, personality traits, behaviours, attitudes, skills, knowledge, approaches that make him/her different from the average music teacher? The present study investigates the profile of the ideal music teacher through the lens of secondary school students and music teachers. 518 Cypriot students and 71 music teachers participated in the study, completing anonymous questionnaires with both closed and open-ended questions. The findings reveal that the characteristics of the ideal music teacher deemed more important for secondary school students fall mainly in the category of personality traits and student-teacher relationship, with pedagogical and subject knowledge following with much smaller percentages. On the other hand, music teachers’ highly valued the ideal music teacher’s musical skills, pedagogical knowledge and music teaching approaches/ practices. By building on the findings, the paper establishes recommendations for music teacher education and teacher effectiveness.

Within a theoretical framework drawn from sociologists of education Bourdieu and Bernstein, this paper will examine some of the findings of an ethnographic case study conducted with a secondary school music teacher and one class of her pupils in Wales. This teacher attracted 25% of Year 10 (14-year-old) pupils to study music as an optional subject against a national background of 8% average. The study attempted to examine the lived experiences of the participants in music at home and school. Teacher and pupils had much to say about music teaching and learning in the classroom and beyond. Much of the success of this particular music curriculum model appeared to stem from the teacher's ability to empathise with her pupils’ musical interests and recontextualise the National Curriculum for music to reflect these. Pupil voice was instrumental in curriculum design and delivery and the teacher showed the empathy required to ‘kick’ her Western Art Music-informed habitus to enable her to enter her pupils’ musical worlds. There were however points of tension between teacher and pupil evaluations of the curriculum reflecting differences of habitus and unequal distribution of power: the ultimate power over curriculum and pedagogy rested firmly with the teacher. Furthermore, in order to work with her pupils in the time allowed the teacher had to make compromises as to the instruments she could allow the majority of her pupils to play. For many of her pupils, this did not appear to present a problem but for a significant number it alienated them from their music education. ‘Informal’ pedagogy might offer a solution to these problems by locating the production and development of musical knowledge with the pupils themselves – for the pupils at the research school this would mean, among other things, allowing groups of pupils opportunities to choose their own curriculum material, providing opportunities for pupils to work in groups sharing knowledge of ‘real’ instruments and techniques and a substantial alteration of the balance of power in lessons, allowing pupils increased control over the pace and sequence of their learning. If such pedagogy is to become more widespread, there are big questions to be asked about the type of person suited to becoming a music teacher and the sort of music education and initial teacher education and training they require. How we as a profession respond to the challenges ahead may well be crucial to the future survival of music in schools.

:Music educators are busy people, dealing with a crowded curriculum, an assortment of teacher duties, and the pressure to create and present performances at different grade levels. Everyday obligations leave teachers little opportunity to reflect on their work and to critically assess the values which underlie their educational choices. Practical survival, suggests Broomhead, “is a more potent motivator than ensuring the philosophical soundness of daily classroom activities” (2004, p. 21). Over the past twenty-five years, school music programs across the globe have increasingly aimed at being more diversified and culturally inclusive. This has been an outcome of policy makers, theorists, and practitioners responding to changes in contemporary school populations and societies, the result of decolonisation, economic migration and other aspects of globalisation. These cultural and demographic changes have led to some music programs being modified and expanded to better reflect the cultural diversity of student bodies, but seem to have barely affected others. In order to examine this trend, this thesis investigates the occurrence, place and role of cultural diversity in a selection of primary music programs in Singapore and in Brisbane, Australia, highlighting the ways in which philosophy, policy, curriculum and teacher training influence teacher practice. The three main objectives of this study are: 1) to provide an overview of current practices in this field in both cities; 2) to examine the appeals for more diverse music programs by current music philosophers and the rhetoric of policy makers in response to these requests; and 3) to report on discrepancies between policy and actual practice occurring in primary music classrooms and teacher training, and the challenges and obstacles teachers face when attempting to include a variety of music cultures in their programs. Between June 2008 and February 2010, data was collected at twenty primary schools and six teacher training institutions in Singapore and Brisbane through 44 interviews, extensive observation of music classes and scrutiny of curricula and policy documents. In both cities, one can find examples of schools with a strong focus on Western musical concepts and skills, and also schools committed to providing students a music education based on a greater diversity of music cultures. These cities provide an interesting contrast with respect to the history of nation building, governance, cultural policy, educational policy and cultural make-up, while also presenting many similarities. The choice of these specific research locations was also informed by my own teacher training and teaching experience in both cities, which has led to a personal interest in researching the changes in music education programs over the past twenty-five years, and has facilitated access to people and sources. This document opens with an auto-ethnographic introduction in order to highlight how my education and work experience has led me to research this topic. This section introduces the research questions and a description of the methodology used, which is in turn informed by an extensive review of relevant literature. The importance of philosophical inquiry and critical reflection on teacher practice is reiterated throughout this thesis. Key themes are summarised and highlighted in the personal reflections that conclude each chapter. These reflections have allowed me to critically analyse the research topics and the role they play in my own teaching situation. It has been beneficial for me to weigh up the various positions presented by theorists writing on culturally diverse music education, and to make professional decisions on the major issues that affect my practice. I believe my teaching has already been positively impacted by this exercise, as I have been encouraged to revisit these issues frequently and make changes accordingly. Through the analysis of interview data several main themes emerge. The findings across these themes highlight that while many music teachers are indeed making attempts to address a variety of music cultures in their classrooms, several influential factors such as state and national educational policies, music curriculum documents, teacher training courses and most importantly constructs – professional and personal philosophies of music education – greatly impact the success and continuance of these attempts. In this way, this study aims to provide important insights to inform teachers, teacher educators and policy makers about the current state of cultural diversity in primary music classrooms in Brisbane and Singapore. It highlights examples of best practice and presents recommendations to developers of educational policies and school curricula. In addition, it is anticipated that results of this study may inform changes in teacher training in other parts of the world, with the aim of equipping educators to be more competent and confident in addressing cultural diversity in the music classroom.

ABSTRACTStudent teaching is the culminating field experience in a teacher preparation programme. The purpose of the study was to explore Korean music student teachers’ perceptions of their student teaching experience. To collect data for this study, in-depth interviews, observation, and documents were used. The results of this study showed that during student teaching, participants had authentic teaching experiences, but needed closer collaboration between the university and the teaching context. Korean music student teachers also felt that a community of student teachers helped them grow as professional music teachers; hence student teacher peers may be another important resource for successful student teaching. Finally, they focused on reflective teaching, but specific ideas and strategies to improve their teaching skills were rather vague. Suggestions for future research on music student teaching are provided.

The purpose of this study is to investigate Chinese primary and secondary school music teachers' perceptions towards “authenticity”-related issues in world music teaching. Using a qualitative methodology, the researchers conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine primary and secondary school music teachers in different provinces of China. The results show that the teachers have different views on whether “authenticity” is often emphasized in the teaching of world music, whether world music in textbooks is represented authentically, whether absolute “authenticity” could be achieved in the teaching of world music, and the role of culture bearers in the transmission of music culture in the classroom. On the whole, to ensure that music teachers can objectively treat authenticity in world music teaching, the teachers should be clear about the purpose of world music teaching and transcend the dilemma of the authentic/inauthentic dichotomy.

The drive for `inclusion' has become a prominent feature in UK educational policy agendas and school improvement programmes. The term refers to all children achieving and participating despite challenges stemming from poverty, class, race, religion, linguistic and cultural heritage or gender. While much has been written about inclusion, evidence on how teachers perceive inclusive education practices among young people who are disengaged from learning and educational opportunity (as manifested by non-attendance or under-achievement at school) has been less thoroughly explored. This multiple case study draws on research on secondary school music teachers in `poorly performing', so-called `under-achieving' schools, including three comprehensive secondary schools in the east and south-east regions of England. It reports on what it is that three music teachers can tell us about their beliefs and approaches to inclusive teaching and learning in their pedagogical settings. A phenomenological approach utilizing semi-structured interview was employed to explore music teachers' perceptions of what it is that they think they do in responding to and overcoming the challenge of re-engaging disaffected youth — their perceptions of their own inclusive pedagogic practices. In order to explore the teachers' perceptions further, some artefact prompts in interviews, such as curriculum planning documents, were employed to provide an opportunity to discuss key factors concerning the content of the music courses. The findings emphasize that, for these teachers, inclusive pedagogies involve more than the accumulation of teaching strategies employed by teachers for supporting troubled and troublesome learners. These teachers' pedagogies are informed largely by particular views of music, views of musical learning and learners, views of the kind of knowledge that is created and the educational outcomes that are desired in overcoming the particular challenges of attuning to and re-engaging disaffected learners. Inclusive pedagogic practices in this study were foregrounded and framed by attuning to and re-engaging disaffected learners by: (a) democratizing music learning as social practice; (b) foregrounding high-status creative projects; and (c) using digital technology as pedagogic levers for re-engaging learners. The emergent themes provide a preliminary basis for theorizing about the role of music education in the schooling of disaffected youth.

This study aims to identify the stage of concern, attitudes and practices of secondary school Music teachers in Sarawak on the application of i-Think in teaching and learning. This study used a survey study design using questionnaires and interviews as research instrument. The sample of the study consisted of thirty (30) secondary school Music teachers in Sarawak. The findings show that they are aware of innovation, but are less interested in applying i-Think in their Music’s teaching and learning. The findings of the interviews show that the attitudes and practices of secondary school Music teachers on the application of i-Think in Music’s teaching and learning is at moderate stage. The implications of this study enable secondary school Music teachers to be more attentive, positive and adopt the application of i-Think in teaching and learning. Indirectly, the application of i-Think can attract students to learn and improve students’ achievement.

This practitioner research, conducted by a secondary school music teacher, deals with two complementary questions: the conceptual question how one could define the ‘artistry’ of a music teacher in the context of his teaching practice, and the empirical question in how far the music teacher’s actions can determine the quality of the musical interactions with his students. The paper elaborately describes the institutional context for this (doctoral) practitioner research study, and integrates two premises, one regarding the negative image of the school subject music, and another about the vagueness and the ongoing discussions about the required competences of a ‘good’ music teacher. The first question is dealt with in a theoretical way, resulting in a working definition for a music teacher’s ‘artistry’: ‘a music teacher’s “artistry” lies within the extent to which he can apply his musical competences in “immediate” teaching situations’. The second question is studied empirically using a set of qualitative data sources, derived from the practitioner researcher’s teaching practice, that were analysed by means of a self-developed ‘three-dimensional matrix of the music teacher’s real-time teaching actions’. This results in a set of 10 categories in which the music teacher clearly demonstrates ‘unprepared non-routinised musical actions’.

Bu arastirma, ilkogretim ikinci kademede gorev yapan muzik ogretmenlerinin, 2006 muzik dersi ogretim programina yonelik gorusleri ve karsilastiklari sorunlari ele almaktadir. Arastirmada Stufflebeam’in baglam, girdi, surec ve urun (CIPP) program degerlendirme modelinin asamalari kullanilarak, muzik dersi ogretmenlerinin 2006 muzik dersi ogretim programina yonelik gorusleri alinmistir. Arastirmada nitel arastirma yontemi kullanilmis ve arastirmaya kolay ulasilabilir orneklem secme yoluyla Antalya ili merkez ilcelerinden Dosemealti, Konyaalti, Aksu, Muratpasa ve Kepez ilcelerindeki Milli Egitim Bakanligi’na bagli ilkogretim ikinci kademe okullarinda gorev yapan 14 muzik ogretmeni katilmistir. Veriler arastirmaci tarafindan gelistirilen gorusme formu yoluyla elde edilmis, verilerin analizinde betimsel analiz yontemi kullanilmistir. Programin baglam, girdi, surec ve urun boyutuna iliskin muzik ogretmenlerinden elde edilen verilere dayanarak; programin baglam boyutuna yonelik muzik ogretmenlerinin; muziksel ilke, kavram ve bilgiler konusunda programi yetersiz bulduklari, kazanimlarda yer alan konularin ogrencilerin seviyesine uygun olarak hazirlanmadigi sonucuna varilmistir. Girdi boyutuna yonelik; programda yer verilen materyallerin ogrencileri olumlu yonde etkiledigi, ancak ogretmenlerin gorev yaptiklari okullarinda donanim eksikligi yasadiklari gorulmustur. Programin surec boyutuna iliskin; muzik ogretmenlerinin kazanimlara yonelik etkinlikleri yeterli bulduklari, fakat ders suresinin kisitli olmasindan dolayi verimli ders isleyemedikleri ortaya cikmistir. Urun boyutuna yonelik ise; programda ogrencilere gunluk hayatlarinda yardimci olacak, ogrencilerin ilgisini cekecek bilgilere ve sarkilara yer verilmedigi sonucuna ulasilmistir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Muzik dersi ogretim programi, Muzik dersi ogretmeni, Baglam, Girdi, Surec, Urun.

Early-career music teachers are described in the literature as being in the first few years of the profession. This research explores the motivation, sense of value, and areas of stress affecting early-career music teachers in Australian secondary high schools. The research is a part of a larger qualitative study which contains a national survey ( n = 263) and interviews ( n = 41) of secondary school music teachers across a number of career stages. This article reports on the survey responses ( n = 59) and interviews ( n = 11) of teachers in the early-career stage (0–5 years). The findings revealed that, while the majority of early-career teachers were motivated to teach, being valued by the school led to a stronger commitment to the workplace. Motivating aspects of work included seeing students grow musically, lesson planning, and providing performance opportunities. While stressors were identified, the early-career music teachers had developed a number of effective strategies to cope with the demands of the profession. This article provides a national snapshot of the influences on the working lives of Australian early-career secondary school music teachers and provides suggestions to school communities and education authorities in ways to support them.

Розвиток музичної освіти у вибраних країнах Європи у XXI столітті

This study is concerned with examining ways of alerting student teachers to the importance of developing questioning skills in their teaching. A survey of the literature on questioning skills revealed a wealth of examples for student teachers of traditionally ‘academic’ subjects, and a corresponding lack of available material for student teachers of practical subjects, where there may be different issues, techniques and situations to consider. In the early stages of their Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course, secondary music student teachers were invited to make a video recording of themselves teaching in school, which included some questioning of pupils at the beginning and end of the lesson. Using guidelines provided by the course, student teachers were then invited to transcribe a short extract of the questioning sections, and critically to evaluate their performance. A range of methods for preparing questions was revealed through subsequent discussion and reflection, demonstrating that student teachers developed their teaching skills through a diversity of approaches just as pupils learn by means of a range of learning styles.

This article documents and discusses how music teachers become educated in Japan and how educational policies in Japan are related to the career path of school music teachers from an insider's perspective. The article intends not only to reveal aspects of the real lives of music students and teachers but also to tie music education policies to music teachers’ minds and behaviors. The career path was divided into three periods: from young age until high school, time during college as a music education major, and time as a music teacher in the public schools. The case study analysis reveals that it is likely that educational policy is introduced at the college level for the first time, permeates music teachers’ lives gradually throughout their careers, and almost becomes invisible for in-service music teachers as they internalize it.

Veteran teachers are defined as having over 15 years’ teaching experience. This research introduces a new career stage of ‘super veteran’ for music teachers that have worked for 30 plus years and seeks to identify the influences on, and contributions of, Australian secondary school music teachers of this career stage. This article reports on survey data gathered in a larger qualitative study that contained a national survey and interviews. The analysis of the interview data in the larger study is yet to be completed. Likert-type scale questions were used for demographic data collection and open-ended questions explored influences on music teacher work practice. Of the responses, 32 were from super veteran secondary school music teachers. These teachers were motivated by working with students and felt valued by them and their parents. Super veterans continued to be engaged in professional development, found work–life balance a constant challenge and many were planning to continue teaching. This research has implications for school leaders in encouraging, valuing and utilising the expertise of super veteran secondary school music teachers. It suggests tailoring professional development for this career stage, gives feedback on the implementation of new curriculum and indicates strategies for stress management and work–life balance.