The Past, Present and Future of Music in Education: a transdisciplinary framework designed to promote re-engagement and reform in music education for teachers, students and the community
Date
2016
Authors
Pike, Georgia
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Abstract
This thesis explores and analyses the discipline of
music education by situating it within a transdisciplinary
contextual framework. Its aim is to develop a simple, practical
model to help teachers, particularly generalist classroom
teachers, reflect on their own musicianship and that of their
students and the community, as a means of increasing engagement
in music both in school and beyond. It emerges from, and builds
upon, the work of the Music Engagement Program at the Australian
National University, where music is conceptualised in such a way
as to increase the confidence and abilities of all teachers to
offer music making opportunities to their students. Despite
evidence to suggest that music making is a universal human trait,
studies indicate a decline in active music making, particularly
in countries such as Australia with ‘Western’ style school
systems. There is evidence to suggest that aspects of music
education may be contributing to this decline. The adults
teaching music can be affected by negative feelings about their
own musical capacities, perpetuating this lack of confidence in
the next generation. Solutions to date have not produced reforms
that successfully overcome these systemic problems on a large
scale. This study develops through a set of nine
‘iterations’, each exploring a different realm of knowledge,
some not commonly applied to the field of music education. Each
iteration acts as a disciplinary ‘lens’ through which new
data and perspectives are explored and considered, including: 1)
language and etymology; 2) the conceptualisation of problems in
current music education; 3) the origins of music; 4) thought and
practice in ancient Greece and Rome; 5) the development of
ancient performance spaces; 6) the influences of the early
Christian church; 7) 20th century educational reformers; 8) the
practice of the Music Engagement Program; and 9) the development
of a framework in consultation with teachers. The framework that
emerges through the iterative research process is refined through
consultation with practising teachers in Iteration 9. The
practical framework is designed to spark a process of reflection
and debate amongst educators, articulating the different outcomes
that stem from underlying educational beliefs at opposite ends of
the spectrum. At one end of the spectrum is the belief that music
is a specialised talent that requires specialist instruction. The
outcome of this belief is that the bulk of the population
disengages from, or lacks confidence in, their music making
capacities. At the other end of the spectrum is the belief that
music is a universal human impulse, which can be released and
encouraged through education, but which is not reliant on
specialised instruction. The outcome of this belief is that
multiple pathways may be developed for and by each individual.
The original contribution of this study is the provision of a
historical and cultural framework of a scope that captures the
extent of the influences converging on educators today, for use
as a dialectical tool for debate, reflection and reform. The
thesis concludes with a discussion of the ramifications of the
framework for practice, research and policy.
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Keywords
Music, Education, Music Education, Pedagogy, Transdicsiplinary, Interdisciplinary, History, Educational Philosophy, Music Philosophy, Performance, Educational Framework, Music in Society, Teaching, Community, Language, Etymology, Classical Studies, Origins of Music, Educational Theory, Education and Theology, Educational Policy, the Arts
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Thesis (PhD)
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