Music Learning Contexts Research Articles

Formal, informal, and non-formal learning as analytic categories for research in music education

Using a deductive approach, this article explores how synthesizing existing theoretical frameworks—UNESCO’s domains of education encompassing formal, informal, and nonformal learning, Folkestad’s dimensions of learning (the situation, learning style, ownership, and intentionality), and Green’s characterizations of informal learning—can enhance our understanding of students’ experiences of music-making across diverse contexts. It explores previous theoretical perspectives and empirical research on music education across these domains, incorporating a global perspective and discussing the varied interpretations of “non-formal” learning. The article highlights how a continuum between formal and informal learning is challenged by more fluid and nuanced understandings presented here. Drawing on empirical material from an ongoing study in Norwegian upper secondary schools, this work demonstrates the practical implications of a nuanced approach to understanding music learning contexts. Observations and interviews from collaborative learning settings offer insights into the interconnectedness of formal, informal, and non-formal learning domains. By offering a critical examination and synthesis of existing theoretical perspectives, this article contributes to broadening the discourse on music education. It underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to research and education practices that fully acknowledges the complexity of learning experiences across various contexts.

The Education of Asian American Music Professionals: Exploration and Development of Ethnic Identity

Abstract Asian American people make up approximately 5.8% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019) and pursue careers in a variety of musical professions. However, a monoracial view of Asian Americans (Mok, 1998) that conceives of all Asian Americans as a homogenous group without regard to ethnicity or cultural background has led to widespread stereotypes. The desire to acculturate to U.S. culture and Western European art music ideals can pressure Asian Americans to play certain instruments, restrict their involvement to particular areas of music, or force them to portray their ethnicity in offensive ways. This study looked at the racial and ethnic identity development of nine Asian American music professionals from various career paths in education, performance, curation, and history through a web survey and subsequent semistructured interviews. Findings pertained to the musical upbringing of participants both inside and outside of school, the social contexts that affected participants’ musical endeavors, pressures from dominant cultures that participants faced while in school and during their careers, and the actions participants took in their careers that were a result of growing up as Asian Americans in various music learning contexts (e.g., school, community, familial, and informal).

A brave new world: theory to practice in participatory culture and music learning and teaching

ABSTRACTThe four perspectives in this paper were first presented as an interactive research/workshop symposium at RIME 9. The purpose of the symposium was to connect new media scholar Henry Jenkins’s theory of ‘participatory culture’ (1992, 2006, 2009) to possible practices of ‘participatory culture’ in diverse music teaching and learning contexts. We ask: If participatory culture exists in music learning contexts – what is it? What are its dimensions? What does participatory culture look like and mean in other music cultures and different contexts/‘places’ (e.g. online, offline, and convergent settings)? Who can and who can’t participate? How might this idea cause us to re-think some of our practices?

Facilitation in popular music education

Abstract This article explores the evolving role of facilitators in popular music education contexts, building on research in music education related to a range of topics such as calls for reform, informal learning, experiential learning, popular music and technology based music learning contexts. A popular music education facilitator employs constructivist learning approaches through student-centred experiential processes. A series of case studies were conducted at various schools including middle schools, high schools and post-secondary contexts. Participants’ classroom management styles ranged from from low-control to high-control facilitation. Student perspectives indicated that facilitation promoted democracy, autonomy, diversity, hospitality, differentiation, exploration, creativity, collaboration and inclusivity. The findings and implications of this research apply to the music education profession, calling into question foundations of student-centred learning, autonomy and increased student agency in music learning contexts.

Contemporary challenges in learning and teaching folk music in a higher education context: a case study of Hua'er music

Literature reviews suggest that traditional approaches in folk music education are not necessarily compatible with the conventions of formal music education. Whilst many recent studies have tended to define these non-classical music learning contexts as ‘informal’, the practice of folk transmission music appears to be much more complex and fluid in the real world. This case study presents an example of teaching and learning experiences of folk singers in a contemporary society in Western China. In this particular context, ‘informal learning’ was found to be influenced by ‘formal’ music practices, whilst a ‘formal approach’ in a classroom has found to be reversely altered by the ‘informal oral tradition’ that was recently proposed in Chinese Higher Music Education. Based on qualitative interview data from four musicians, three major findings are reported on current transformations of Hua'er music practices. Pedagogical suggestions were further discussed on a possible dual-input (was termed ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ in Jaffurs's study) learning approach, which may contribute to the success of folk music education at college level.

Rethinking Religion in Music Education

A great deal of discussion of religious music in schools has been generated in our field. As we become increasingly sensitive to the diverse interests of the multiple stakeholders in public schools, issues of political correctness and pedagogical goals are raised. The author poses questions about religion and music education. To generate a different dialogue on this topic, four vignettes and alternate interpretations of the situations as well as possible unintended consequences are examined. The author describes alternative approaches to music-learning contexts and offers questions to wrestle with while keeping in mind the goal of music for all.