An investigation into the identity, roles and position of the private music teacher within the music education profession in the Canberra and Riverina regions

Abstract

This thesis explores the status of the private music teacher in Australia with particular reference to a deep, descriptive analysis of those engaged in the profession in and around the Australian Capital Territory and Riverina Regions. It adopts a qualitative research paradigm including a specifically developed survey instrument exploring the positions, qualifications, personal issues and perceptions of a population of private music teachers. Although private music teachers have been prevalent in the Australian community for many years, their status as music professionals and contribution to music education tend to be overlooked by the community at large as well as by music professionals. There is a shortage of research and literature and, consequently, an extensive lack of understanding about the profession and its place within the music teaching industry. An exhaustive literature review and analysis supplies the background for the survey instrument which provided information on the following basic questions: What are the training/qualifications of private music teachers?; How do they perceive their roles?; and what are the issues that they consider being important for their profession? In order to answer these questions, a population of private music teachers of both sexes aged from 20-70 years from the Canberra and Riverina regions was surveyed. While the bulk of the study was qualitative, the survey was divided into five sections containing questions designed to provide both qualitative and quantitative data. The literature reveals that much previous research has focused mainly on piano pedagogy and training (Gwatkins [2008] and Michalski [2008]). This study sought to gather broad data relating to private music teachers in general, focusing on providing evidence of education, teaching particulars, studio information and demographics, determining any population groups within the sample and collating descriptive data that provide concrete evidence of teacher concerns, perceptions and evaluations. Results indicate that the majority of participants are middle aged and have been teaching for some time; that many private music teachers practice with few or no pedagogical qualifications while supporting the need for such qualifications; and that there is a perceived need for information and support concerning both child protection and professional development in regional areas. Participants listed respect and recognition from both the music community and the wider community as key issues. The assessment of the study results and literature concluded that although private music teaching is a part of Australian music education, it is an occupation that is misunderstood and often overlooked by music professionals and the community. Furthermore, common themes in both the literature and study findings confirm that any individual may undertake private music teaching whether qualified or not. Despite this, a crucial finding was the need the standardization of certification to improve and validate the private music teaching profession. Finally, the need for recognition and support from other music professionals. This study concludes by offering suggestions for future research within the context of improving the status of and knowledge about the private music teacher in Australia.