Teacher intervention strategies in the composing processes of lower secondary school students

Abstract

In this article, case studies of teacher interventions in the composing processes of school students aged 11-14 in generalist music classes are described and discussed. The study finds that music teachers have developed their own strategies for formative assessment, unaware that these are valorized by external agencies.

Teaching composing in secondary school: a case study analysis

“…Questions provoke students to consider the present state of their composition in comparison with the way they want it to sound -feedback that, as Younker points out: 'allows students to think about what they are attempting to do musically ' (2003, p. 241). Fautley (2004) found in his case studies of teaching composing that 'questions were the most common form of teacher utterance, with statements second ' (p. 210). When a suggestion is couched as a question, the student is able to maintain a greater sense of ownership over the composition.…”

“…Students are naturally inclined to revise their compositions (Folkestad et al ., 1997; Kratus, 1989; Younker & Smith, 1996). However, they need help and encouragement in the revision process in order to move forward and develop as composers (Berkley, 2001, 2004; Fautley, 2004; Mellor, 1999; Reese, 2003; Webster 2002, 2003). ‘The teacher directs and guides students towards successful goals, enabling them to decide for themselves what works most effectively in the particular musical situation’ (Berkley, 2001, p. 127).…”

“…Motivation for task completion is enhanced when the teacher provides opportunities for showcasing and sharing student compositions (Berkley, 2001; Fautley, 2005a; Odam, 2000; Pitts, 2005), and by facilitating students’ ownership, autonomy, and authority (Berkley, 2001). Teachers can guide students through the composing process by encouraging students to talk about their composing (Major, 2007), by sequencing steps for the student to follow to see the process through (Berkley, 2001), and by offering suggestions for revision (Berkley, 2004; Fautley, 2004; Reese, 2003; Webster, 2002, 2003).…”

Investigating children's musical interactions within the activities systems of group composing and arranging: An application of Engeström's Activity Theory

“…Studies have been conducted where data were collected through regular observation of music learning practices, as scripts that define socio-musical practice and pedagogy (Jaffurs, 2004;Wiggins, 2003;Younker, 2003), and where ethnographic and micro-analysis methods were used to describe levels of interaction (Espeland, 2003;Fautley, 2004).…”

A generative model of teachers’ thinking on musical creativity

“…However, she did not collect any data on the teacher's perceptions of musical creativity. Fautley (2004Fautley ( , 2005a examined individual teacher interventions in the composing processes of groups of school students aged 11-14 and suggested a model for the group composing process, but again, did not focus on the teachers' thinking. MacDonald, Byrne and Carlton (2006) studied the relationships between creativity, Csikszentmihalyi's concept of flow and the quality of the compositions by 45 university students undertaking a group composition task.…”