Abstract
This study is based on data from a national survey of generalist student teachers specialising in music in the new five-year primary and lower secondary school teacher education programme in Norway. The study aims to map students’ backgrounds, experiences of the educational programme and visions for their future practice as generalist music teachers in schools. The theoretical perspective is cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). The findings suggest that generalist teacher education music programmes reproduce patterns of inequality. These patterns should be addressed in the future development of the programmes; however, the current lack of diversity may inhibit conditions for transformation and change.
Highlights
Since 2017, generalist teacher education in Norway has consisted of a five-year integrated Master’s degree providing primary and lower secondary teacher education
This includes knowing who is recruited to the music subject within teacher education, who is permitted to participate in the shaping of future generations by teaching music in schools, where do these student teachers come from, and what are their educational and musical preferences? Internationally, music education researchers have criticised music teacher education programmes for functioning as so-called “silos” (Väkevä et al, 2017) and reproducing musical values, beliefs and practices (Bowman, 2007; Gaunt & Westerlund, 2013; Sætre, 2014; Wright, 2019), possibly failing to prepare future music teachers for the diversity they will certainly meet later in their teaching careers
The inherent practical and performative focus on music in compulsory schools as well as in generalist music teacher education requires students to be practically skilled in music and, as our study shows, not all of them feel competent in this respect
Summary
Since 2017, generalist teacher education in Norway has consisted of a five-year integrated Master’s degree providing primary and lower secondary teacher education. This statement suggests that student teachers should take a more active role in shaping the new education programme. There is, a lack of awareness of who is recruited as a student teacher to the music subject within initial teacher education programmes. Knowing more about the student teachers is essential from a systemic perspective This includes knowing who is recruited to the music subject within teacher education, who is permitted to participate in the shaping of future generations by teaching music in schools, where do these student teachers come from, and what are their educational and musical preferences? Finding out more about student teachers, is essential to addressing diversity and the (re)production of (in)equalities within teacher education music programmes
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