Musical practices and methods in music lessons: a comparative study of Estonian and Finnish general music education

Abstract

This article reveals the results of a comparative study of Estonian and Finnish general music education. The aim was to find out what music teaching practices and approaches/methods were mostly used, what music education perspectives supported those practices. The data were collected using questionnaires and the results of 107 Estonian and 50 Finnish music teachers' answers were examined using quantitative analysis. The results showed that singing has an exceptional role in Estonian music education as well as the minor importance of teaching elementary music theory in Finland. There are also significant connections between music teachers' music educational knowledge and music activities used in both countries.

Student teachers’ and teacher educators’ pedagogical reflections on piano courses in Finnish primary school teacher education

“…The second thinking level or metatheory level examines and reflects on the values, ethics, and object theories behind the teaching practices and pedagogical interaction (Kansanen, 1991(Kansanen, , 1993. Kansanen's (1991Kansanen's ( , 1993 model has been transferred into the context of music education (Sepp, 2014), enabling the development of "reflective practitioners" (Elliott, 1995, p. 260). Accordingly, in the context of music, the action level concerns students' musical skills, instructional processes, contextual solutions in content prioritization, choice of repertoire, and teaching materials.…”

“…The object theory level involves theoretical criteria like general objectives, main concepts, structuring the teaching-learning process, and reflecting on one's own practice and curriculum. The metatheory level exposes sociocultural aspects, personality development, aspects of value, and music education philosophy (Sepp, 2014).…”

Bridging the past, present and future in Estonian music education

“…According to previous research (Sepp, Ruokonen, & Ruismäki 2015), the music education methods and approaches that have most influenced Estonian music teachers are these of Riho Päts, Carl Orff and Zoltan Kodaly. Thus, Estonian music education today arguably follows ideas associated with a praxial music education approach, which emphasizes teaching and learning music through direct involvement, in order to understand its real meaning and purpose, and keeping in mind the holistic development of a person when education her "in music, about music, for music, and through music" (Elliott & Silvermann 2014, 17).…”

Application of the Theory of Brainstorming in Visual Teaching of Music

“…The visual teaching of music class can stimulate students' interest in music and help them better understand and enjoy the music works, especially for students in lower grades [7]. After listening to music, some students can dance to the rhythm, and get a complete musical experience [8]. With the advancement and application of information technology, the visualization of music teaching has undergone big changes, visual expression tools are used more often to form concept maps, mind maps and other visual methods to help students understand music better [9].…”