Music without a music specialist: A primary school story

Abstract

This case study focuses on generalist primary (elementary) school teachers teaching music in an Australian school. With the onus for teaching music moving away from the specialist music teacher to the generalist classroom teacher, this case study adds to a growing body of literature focusing on generalist primary school teachers and music teaching. Previous literature largely focuses on these teachers self-reporting regarding their teaching of music. This case study aimed to identify what factors facilitate the teaching of music and the kinds of music teaching occurring in the school through interviews and observations of generalist teachers teaching music. Singing was core to the teaching of music by the generalist teachers, who valued a sequential and developmental approach to music teaching. The role of the school principal was key in supporting this music teaching, both financially and personally, as was music professional development attended by the teachers. Working as members of a community of practice, these teachers were able to articulate a shared vision of music education in their school.

Confronting the challenge: The impact of whole-school primary music on generalist teachers’ motivation and engagement

“…The immovable nature of these unmusical judgements can impact upon decisions taken regarding practice, in particular the extent to which teachers are willing to engage with music at all. For generalist primary practitioners, a belief that they are “unmusical” is often uncritically equated with a similarly categorical judgement regarding their (in)ability to teach the subject (de Vries, 2015). An expected lack of confidence in music generally can impact upon practitioners’ self-efficacy beliefs regarding the delivery of lessons (Holden & Button, 2006).…”

“…The challenges faced by many generalist primary teachers in relation to music education have been a recurrent issue across research, policy and practice (Stunell, 2006). A lack of confidence (de Vries, 2015; Holden & Button, 2006), performance anxiety (Abril, 2007) and insufficient training (Hallam et al, 2009; Hennessy, 2012) have been explored in research spanning several decades (Mills, 1989) and international borders (Russell-Bowie, 2009). Despite frequent debates within the field (Bowyer, 2012) and an avid quest for advocacy of the subject, little has changed “on the ground”, indicating that this is not a situation which will be resolved easily or quickly (de Vries, 2013).…”

“…Drawing upon the assumption that teacher motivation is not a fixed, stable trait but can potentially be enhanced (Nolen, Ward, & Horn, 2012; Opfer, 2014), the research explores how socially-situated factors challenge practitioners’ pre-existing negative self-judgements and barriers to participation. As de Vries (2015) and Biasutti, Hennessy, and Vugt-Jansen (2014) note, now that the research has established the potential difficulties affecting generalist teachers with regard to music, it is important to progress towards the development of possible solutions. This paper explores how the school as a social organisation may hold the key to enhancing generalists’ motivation for music, increasing teachers’ self-efficacy judgements and the value they attach to the subject.…”

Cuando el barrio educa: aprendizaje situado y creación artística colaborativa como herramienta en la formación musical del futuro docente

“…La falta de conocimiento musical se cita a menudo como un problema para el profesorado generalista de Primaria. Este colectivo además del conocimiento musical necesita disponer de la confianza y las habilidades necesarias para enseñar esta disciplina (de Vries 2014). No obstante, existen estudios que demuestran que los adultos tienen capacidad para desarrollarse musicalmente a través de oportunidades que les permitan participar en la creación musical (Henley 2015), en lugar de concebir la habilidad musical como una entidad fija (Biasutti 2010).…”

Music Activities Delivered by Primary School Generalist Teachers in Victoria: Informing Teaching Practice

“…A study from 2009 of "preservice teacher training courses for primary classroom teachers across Australia found that, on average, approximately 17 hours was devoted to music within the degree program" (Parliament of Victoria, 2013, p. 126). Other issues for teachers include time constraint pressures indicative of the crowded curriculum (de Vries, 2015), high stakes testing and a lack of understanding of the value of music by educators and school leadership teams (Parliament of Victoria, 2013). There are no policy directives regarding the implementation of music education in primary schools (Parliament of Victoria, 2013), leaving education in music open for autonomous interpretation from school to school.…”