
Editorial
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Early-career music teachers are well placed to comment on the effectiveness of pre-service teacher education. Their perceptions are particularly relevant in determining why music teachers are `burning out' at an early stage of their career. This article explores how 15 early-career Australian music teachers perceive their job and their preparedness for the workforce. Their stories suggest that although they feel a `passion' towards teaching music, they regard their early experiences in secondary schools as a time when they will either `sink or swim', and when they see themselves as a `one-man-band'. Analysis suggests that praxis shock in early-career music teachers is directly related to the unique experiences of being a music teacher. The article concludes with recommendations for pre-service courses to address issues of praxis shock in early-career music teachers.
Reflection is an appropriate way of accounting for professional practice and is a standard way in which one can `become better acquainted with one's own story'. Defining `subjectivity' as `the quality of an investigator that affects the results of observational investigation', Peshkin highlights the requirement for any observer of, or participant in, educational events to be `meaningfully attentive' to their own subjectivity as they conduct and reflect on their teaching and research activities. Using Peshkin's work as a model, this article considers the process by which the author identified a number of his own `subjective I's'. From this process, key points are made for other teachers or researchers wanting to adapt this reflective method to their own work.
If the modern conservatorium is to prosper in a rapidly changing cultural and economic landscape, it will need to provide a learning experience that produces multi-skilled and adaptable graduates who are self-monitoring and self-directing. By implication, teaching practices that have dominated in the past will need to be re-thought, and alternatives considered that are likely to produce graduates with the abilities and attributes necessary to adapt readily to a changing environment. As a response to this imperative, one conservatorium has developed a pedagogical approach based on the creation of a scaffolded self-directed learning community, a master-less studio. It is embedded in a popular music programme that explicitly values the development of learning characteristics that will help graduates deal with an unpredictable future. Student feedback on the impact of these practices has been gathered during the evolution of this process. It includes survey data, formal and informal student feedback, and a number of interviews in which students describe how aspects of this learning-centred approach have interacted with their music-making and their career expectations. From this feedback, it is evident that greater student autonomy and self-efficacy result from the a-synchronous reflection on performance that is enabled through recording, the self-reflection that is required by self-assessing, and the reflections on the work of others that peer-based assessment demands.
The aim of the Sounds of Silk project was to develop an interdisciplinary educational program that combines the study of Chinese music and culture with the goal of motivating students' learning. It involved three schools, six teachers and 250 fifth- and sixth-grade students in New York City. Participants explored three topics in Chinese music and culture through live demonstrations by Chinese musicians, classroom lessons and student creative projects over a 10-week period. The daily life, philosophies and festivals of people in China were studied in relation to Chinese music. Results revealed that multicultural music can motivate learning when it (a) provides novelty and interest in class, (b) is relevant and meaningful, and (c) is based on a student-centered curriculum with practical creative activities. An interdisciplinary approach to multicultural music education and a broad perspective on music education with a focus on the enrichment of students' life experiences are recommended.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, Indian culture was represented in Australia as part of celebrations of the British Empire. Children were presented with stereotypic representations of Indian culture, which provide a snapshot of contemporary perceptions. Such representations were rarely authentic. By removing music from one culture and presenting it in the symbolic gestures of another we strip away much of its meaning. Encouragingly, contemporary popular culture can incorporate a fusion of western and Indian cultural practices, such as filmi (Hindi: `film song' or `Indian film music'). This article describes early imperialist understandings of Indian culture in Australian school music to contextualize recent attempts to engage with more authentic intercultural understandings. To assist teachers in the presentation of `other' musics, guidelines for the inclusion of authentic materials are offered. By selecting music that is already a fusion of cultures and musical styles, it becomes easier for western music educators to engage with the other.
Educational researchers have examined the effect of achievement goals on student performance, and suggest that both mastery goals and performance-approach goals are beneficial, whereas performance-avoidance goals are harmful. Recent research proposes that these results may not be generalized in the domain of music. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relation of performance approach, performance avoidance, mastery and intrinsic goals to the end-of-year public performance of 129 music, dance and acting conservatory students. Results demonstrated that both types of performance goals (approach and avoidance) were associated with negative emotional outcomes, and that only intrinsic goals were associated with positive performance and emotional outcomes. Mastery goals were unrelated to outcomes in this sample. Intrinsic goals associated with aesthetic expression and enjoyment seemed to be particularly helpful for performing artists.
Research findings confirm positive links between music education, scholastic achievement, and social adaptability, especially among at-risk and special needs children. However, few studies explain how this process occurs. This article presents a didactic approach, which suggests practical ways of enhancing general learning skills while teaching music. Conducted with young children with severe learning difficulties aged 4—10, the MISC-MUSIC (More Intelligent and Sensitive, or Socially Compliant Children) program (Klein, 1996) interconnects the following three components: (1) the content of the music lessons; (2) the creation of educational frameworks that nurture quality, active teacher—child interactions (mediated learning environments), and (3) the choice of relevant, general learning skills (cognitive functions) to be fostered during the music lesson. The article explains the theoretic premises of MISC-MUSIC, cites examples of how this approach was implemented, and reflects on the effectiveness of the program.