A Pluralist Approach to Music Education

Humberstone, James

doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199372133.013.40

Cited by 3 publications

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“…The MOOC incorporated a variety of paedagogies aimed at encouraging critical thinking (Humberstone, 2021b). Central to this approach was the determination to expose learners to ‘problems relating to themselves in the world and with the world’, so they would feel ‘increasingly challenged and obliged to respond to that challenge’ (Freire, 1970, p. 54) in each week’s work.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The value of musical pluralism and the importance of acknowledging the sophistication of the musical cultures in which children participate was discussed in reference to the literature cited above. Observations of and interviews at a Musical Futures programme in Melbourne (Humberstone, 2018c) was contrasted with both the Orff approach, as well as an interview with leading advocate of traditional (WAM) music education, Richard Gill (Humberstone, 2019a), of Australia (discussed further in Humberstone et al, 2020). A full overview of (1) the related MOOC video content, (2) provocations presented through the juxtaposition of the content and in the prompt for each week’s blog, and (3) the rubric for peer marking is available in the MOOC or online (Humberstone, 2021b).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following this training, many music teachers have a worldview that treats the instruments, forms, and approaches of WAM as having priority over non-Western music and new technological/digital developments. As a result, these teachers do not include -or may explicitly exclude (Kallio, 2015(Kallio, , 2017a(Kallio, , 2017b -recent developments in music from their classrooms, rather than taking a pluralist approach that encompasses both the old and the new (Humberstone, 2017;Webb & Seddon, 2012). The students these teachers see in their classrooms, on the other hand, have neither a WAM background nor a worldview that privileges it (Bull & Scharff, 2017;Green, 2008;Youth Music & Ipsos MORI, 2019), leaving teachers and students with quite different experiences and understandings of music.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The University of Sydney saw an opportunity to address this situation through an internationally available Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), undemanding in its time-commitment, and giving course participants immediate access to a community of colleagues striving to come to terms with and decide how to respond to the latest music education research Humberstone, 2016. Through video with narrative commentary by the lead author of the study, course participants have the opportunity to virtually visit schools that take markedly different approaches to technology in music education (for example, Humberstone, 2018bHumberstone, , 2018d, meet colleagues who have different approaches to whether or how to combine WAM and 21st-century developments (for example, Humberstone, 2018aHumberstone, , 2019bHumberstone, , 2020 and listen in on conversations between the lead researcher and musicians and educators who have given the topic of contemporary music education a great deal of thought, or even a lifetime of devotion (for example, Humberstone, 2019aHumberstone, , 2021aHumberstone, , 2021c. The aim of the interactions is to provoke critical thinking in participants by engaging with the material and each other to reflect on how they can make sense of the provocative juxtaposition of seemingly contradictory research and practice the course presents, and to what extent and in what specific ways they might modify their own classroom practice.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Stimulating music educator worldview change through a pedagogy of provocation, critical thinking and peer-review

Humberstone

Zhao²,

Liu

et al. 2023

International Journal of Music Education

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Contemporary literature suggests that music education is stuck in a cycle of cultural reproduction in which music teachers and curriculum writers value Western art music more than culturally-diverse and modern, technology-saturated musics, and train the next generation to hold similar views. A MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) was developed to challenge music teachers’ worldviews and to develop critical thinking about the field. In this mixed-methods study, we analysed 18 months of qualitative and quantitative data provided by the more than 1,600 course participants in response to paedagogical ‘provocations’ to assess whether it was successful in prompting critical thinking and worldview change. We used three methods to interrogate three distinct datasets: basic content analysis of participants’ publicly written reflections, statistical analysis of peer marking and context-network maps of peer comments. Between-methods triangulation crystallised our findings. We find that through required peer-review of public postings, an online community of practice formed, that it encouraged teachers to engage deeply with new ideas, and engage in Critical Thinking. We find that those who had a disposition towards critical thinking in the early assessments responded most positively to the pedagogy of provocation and were consistently prepared to question their own worldview and practice.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Stimulating music educator worldview change through a pedagogy of provocation, critical thinking and peer-review

Humberstone

Zhao²,

Liu

et al. 2023

International Journal of Music Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…One of the primary reasons found was that 'school music' was perceived as boring and did not cater to students' musical interests. 'School music' has been known to largely consist of Western art music, such as classical music, and has been suggested by musicologists as the leading cause for persuading only 5% to 10% of students to continue studying music through secondary school (Humberstone, 2017). In response to this, music researchers have viewed the further inclusion of relevant popular music genres as an important solution towards making music more appealing to students and ultimately increasing music uptake (Charanga, 2021).…”

Section: Popular Music Education In the Westmentioning

confidence: 99%

How popular music pedagogy is integrated in the diverse environment of international school education in China: A case study in Shanghai

Quin

2022

International Journal of Music Education

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In Western countries, music educators have made efforts to revitalise enthusiasm for music education by integrating more mainstream and culturally-relevant genres into their curriculum. Conversely, current research indicates that popular music pedagogy in mainland China is not encouraged and faces many obstacles, as school music education is used to promote Chinese traditional music and bolster nationalism. This qualitative case study investigates how popular music pedagogy in an international school, based in China, accommodates the diverse cultural backgrounds of its Chinese and non-Chinese students when teaching Western and Chinese popular music. For 6 weeks, I had the privilege of closely observing a music class containing a mixture of 12 Chinese and non-Chinese students at an international secondary school based in Shanghai, China. Findings revealed that students were given autonomy to engage with their preferred music genre during lessons that focused on music performance and composition. Interestingly, Chinese students gravitated towards studying C-pop on their own accord, a domestic and sanitised form of popular music. However, the study of modern popular music genres was not prevalent during the music appraisal lessons. The challenges of integrating Chinese popular music pedagogy in an international classroom setting are also discussed.

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No longer optional: The Infusion of Digital Technology in Praxical Secondary School Music Education

Emo

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In the last 30 years, digital technology has changed music making. These changes have been studied in the context of music education. The majority of the research predates the major technological shifts that have occurred in the last five years (e.g. browser-based Digital Audio Workstations) and the impact of online teaching through the Covid-19 pandemic. Studies have focused on the relationships between teacher beliefs at the introductory or integration phase of digital technology. It has not been determined how secondary school classroom music teachers in New Zealand conceptualize music education in light of the country's unique curriculum and assessment framework. Neither is there any recent empirical research internationally that provides insights into the relationship and influence of teacher beliefs with their experience and practice of digital technologies in the classroom. Additionally, previous empirical studies with digital technology have been limited by being narrow in their sample size, only sampling advanced users of digital technology or with pre-service teachers.This thesis explores the landscape of music education in the digital age, focusing on the examining of the experience, practices, and beliefs of secondary school music teachers in New Zealand with the goal of attaining the essence of their experience as a combined cohort. The methodological approach uses a transcendental phenomenology lens, drawing on Husserlian phenomenology. The two-part mixed methods study includes the administering of a new Music Education Digital Technology (MEDT) survey tool nationwide to an estimated 40% of the secondary school music teaching cohort followed by six case studies. The research outcomes reveal three key findings that contribute to the understanding of the experience of secondary school music teachers with digital technology into music education.The first research outcome highlights that the participating teachers are praxicalists, the most recent iteration of the education theory of praxialism, as developed by Regelski. Contrary to expectations of curriculum incoherence, the findings illustrate a coherent approach through the interconnected pillars of praxicalism, namely techné, poiesis, phronēsis, and theoria. The study identifies the flexibility of the national curriculum (NZC) and assessment framework (NCEA) in New Zealand in providing autonomy for teachers in their curriculum decisions. The second research outcome emphasizes how the classroom reflects current music praxis. In making their curriculum decisions, the music teachers strive to incorporate a pluralistic approach to what music genres are included, challenging the dichotomy between Western Art Music (WAM) and popular/contemporary or electronic music that is present in previous studies. Within the context of how genres are included, the study reveals that teachers are informed by how musicians create music, and seek to primarily draw from students' experiences, minimizing the boundary between in-school and out-of-school music. This approach addresses the longstanding problem of a mismatch between school music and external music praxis. Additionally, the study highlights the significance of recognizing students as already knowledgeable contributors to music praxes outside the classroom.The third research outcome identifies teachers as teaching experts rather than knowledge or digital technology experts. The participating teachers, despite lacking expertise in specific musical genres or digital technology, confidently integrate diverse music praxes into their curricula. The interaction between techné and phronesis underpins their decision-making, enabling a student-centred curriculum design.Overarching across these three outcomes, is how digital technology is infused in music, and this requires a different way of thinking about music education. The identification of infusion of digital technology in music making is a major finding not currently present in the empirical research internationally.The study proposes six areas for future research, including future use of the MEDT survey tool in New Zealand and overseas, exploration of the impact of ongoing curriculum and assessment changes, investigation into teachers' perceptions of negative effects of digital technology, examination of the relationship between self-efficacy and mindset, consideration of students' perspectives, and a global perspective on the study findings.While acknowledging limitations such as a small sample size and geographical context, this study has implications for both music teachers and policymakers. It advocates for a student-centred approach, emphasizing the importance of strong curriculum-making skills and maintaining trust and autonomy for teachers in the digital age. The study's implications extend beyond New Zealand, offering insights for policymakers in other nations undergoing curriculum and assessment revisions.

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A Pluralist Approach to Music Education

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Stimulating music educator worldview change through a pedagogy of provocation, critical thinking and peer-review

Stimulating music educator worldview change through a pedagogy of provocation, critical thinking and peer-review

How popular music pedagogy is integrated in the diverse environment of international school education in China: A case study in Shanghai

No longer optional: The Infusion of Digital Technology in Praxical Secondary School Music Education

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