ERIC EJ912417: Responding to the Challenge: Giving Pre-Service Classroom Teachers a Musical Language and Understanding

2010·0.08 MB·English

by  ERIC

aaustralian
s osc i e t y
f o r mmu s i c
Responding to the challenge: e du cat ioen
incorporated
giving pre-service classroom teachers
a musical language and understanding
Jenni Munday and Wyverne Smith
Charles Sturt University, Albury
Abstract
Pre-service teacher degree programs are increasingly crowded with subjects covering the wide gamut of knowledge
a teacher requires. Ensuring musical knowledge and language for classroom teaching poses a difficult problem for
teacher educators. This article examines the challenges of including in the pre-service classroom teaching program
a music sequence of learning that successfully imbues an understanding of music. It demonstrates how music
education has been carried out at Charles Sturt University on the Albury-Wodonga campus over the last five years. It
also discusses the difficulties of retaining successful music learning in the new cross-campus degree, due to external
limitations and cross-campus facilities.
Keywords: teacher education, creative arts, music education.
Australian Journal of Music Education 2010:1, 71-77
Introduction designed a program that would have desirable
outcomes for a well-rounded, professional
Pre-service teaching degree programs respond
classroom teacher or early childhood professional.
to many outside influences such as political
Since the first program design there have been
change, professional requirements, and academic
three reviews, and continuing to include the
integrity. Higher education reforms have a heavy music component has been a challenge. In the
impact, usually requiring a limiting of resources newest revision of the program, this effective
for delivery of academic programs. Internal stream of learning will no longer be maintained.
influences also affect program design including Those responsible for the provision of musical
values and expertise of designers. This paper learning and understanding face the most difficult
reflects on changes that have influenced the challenge thus far and innovative measures are
varied stages of inclusion of music education sought to overcome the problems.
within a pre-service teacher degree program. This paper also evaluates the original sequence
A sequence of music subjects at CSU Albury was of music subjects and discusses ways the
developed inside a teacher education degree in academics are planning to continue providing
1995 because of academic staff’s realisation that students with a basic music understanding that
teachers need first to understand the language enables future classroom teachers to confidently
of music before teaching music to children. Staff pass this understanding on to children.
believed that students need to learn by doing
and that all personal skills learned needed to be Background
applied immediately to practical teaching skills. All In 1995 a new Bachelor of Education (Early
students at the Albury-Wodonga campus learned Childhood) was created on the Albury-Wodonga
first to play keyboard and then how to use this campus of Charles Sturt University (CSU). It was
knowledge and skill to teach young children. Staff built from the most positive aspects of earlier
Australian Journal of Music Education 71
Munday and Smith
Bachelor of Teaching programs delivered on the reason given by most of the participants in
Wagga Wagga campus. One of the features of Bresler’s study was that they (the teachers) could
the earlier degrees had been the ability to deliver not sing or play (p. 4). Furthermore, The National
sequential practical music classes over a period Review of Music Education reported that teachers
of four or five semesters because Creative and from general education degrees “indicate that
Expressive Arts subjects were smaller and more they lack sufficient knowledge, understanding
frequent. Four or five semesters of smaller subjects and skills and accompanying confidence to
in music enabled the lecturers to assist students teach music” (Department of Education, Science
to gain a credible competence in music practice, and Training, 2005, p. 13). Even to decipher the
equivalent to about two years of individual music music section of the Creative Arts Syllabus of
tuition, and sometimes encouraged students to NSW (2006) requires a basic understanding of
continue their personal development in music music literacy with its concepts and vocabulary.
beyond University. Brown’s opinion is that children “can still enjoy
The next two major reviews to the program and experience music through listening, singing,
made apparent the external pressure to provide creating, performing, and moving, but students
compressed learning in all subject areas. Course who cannot read music would nonetheless be
designers devised changes to be attractive to the considered musically illiterate” (Brown, 2003, p. 9).
student as a prospective client or consumer, as well Elkoshi’s research concluded that teachers should
as ensuring high credibility within the professional teach music literacy because it enhanced children’s
field. The problem of maintaining a useful imagination and associative thinking (Elkoshi,
sequence of music instruction in the program- 2007). The NSW K-6 Creative Arts Curriculum
design posed a problem that was solved by (2006) requires students at the highest level (Stage
attaching the practical music study to Professional 3) to be able to “notate as a means of recording
Experience subjects, thus maintaining the and communicating musical ideas” and to identify
momentum of four to five semesters of learning. “musical concepts and symbols” (p. 89). Given that
Academic staff members who were designing not all schools in NSW and Victoria have music
the new program were committed to the specialist teachers, general classroom teachers
implementation of a sustained stream of study need to have sufficient music skills to follow the
for music. There were several reasons for this curriculum. If children are expected to be musically
commitment. Briefly, these were: literate, then, a fortiori, so should classroom
• awareness of perceived problems with teachers.
classroom teachers’ musical understanding; It is worth noting that Queensland Education
• an appreciation of the need for teachers to Department boasts that 30% of musicians in
have basic music literacy; the Australian Youth Orchestra come from
• the expectation that musical understanding Queensland where “the school music program
could be derived from basic learning in is quite famous and acclaimed” (Department of
practical keyboard classes; Education and Training, Queensland Government,
2006). Most Queensland schools have music
• the expectation that learning and skills
specialists and at least two Queensland generalist
acquired in keyboard classes could be
teacher education universities have dedicated
related and adapted to students’ future work
music subjects with choices of optional extra
with children in the classroom.
music subjects. According to Ian Harvey (board
From the authors’ personal experiences, and
member of the Music Council of Australia and
from other research (Bresler, 1994; Harvey, 2008),
head of the Australian Music Association), overall,
it is well known that many teachers do not give
Australian music education does not compare
satisfactory music experiences to children. The
well throughout the world either. He says Australia
72 2010, No. 1
Educating pre-service classroom teachers
rates “poorly” in comparison with countries such time. Guitar was considered a good instrument
as Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Hungary, Finland, with which to engage children in singing, but was
Norway, Sweden, France, Tunisia and Morocco, in rejected due to its emphasis on chords rather than
its provision of music education in primary schools more universal notation. Keyboards were chosen
(Harvey, 2008). as being an inexpensive option for students to
So, within the teaching staff there was a focus their musical attention and as a suitable
commitment to strive for strong music education classroom tool. It was believed that knowledge of
at the time of the earlier reviews. New, but key structures and general musical language could
distinctly different, Bachelor of Education be learned more visually on keyboards. Appell
programs were designed and offered on the (1993) and Bissell (1995) found three important
Bathurst campus and the Albury-Wodonga advantages of using the keyboards in classroom
campus of CSU, allowing each group of teaching teaching: individualisation of student learning, the
academics the ability to give each program its own possibilities for music literacy and the scope for
‘flavour’. The way each campus solved its problems creative experiences.
for teaching and learning in music therefore
differed. For example, the Bathurst campus had a Keyboard as medium at MSE
staff member who was enthusiastic about ukulele At MSE, a lab of 15 keyboards connected to the
playing and encouraged students to learn through tutor’s console enabled students to be timetabled
the social network of community groups. The for 30-minute group lessons on a weekly basis
Bathurst campus also provided the sector with throughout the semester. The students were
a specific Primary qualification as well as Early introduced to musical understanding through an
Childhood and within the Primary degree was able adult beginner piano text that introduced keys
to offer discipline-based Arts subjects. Historically and music concepts as well as getting the student
then, that campus had built up specialist resources to ‘play’ very quickly. Study notes were provided in
and a lab for music learning. order to continually draw the students’ attention
Staff at the Murray School of Education to the possible application(s) of their learning to
(MSE), Albury-Wodonga campus, decided to the classroom. The keyboards have the added
use keyboards as the medium for a basic music advantage of providing various choices of sounds
education. Using singing or the voice was and rhythms as well as recording facilities, all
ruled out because of the authors’ experience of easily accessed while using earphones. Learning
considerable student anxiety about singing. This occurred through private tuition, tutor-to-student
anxiety is exemplified by the following incident. through the console; playing together in unison
A class of student teachers were asked to greet and parts; and general instruction to the whole
each other by singing their names (soh-mi) at group.
the start of a class. When the class was asked to With regard to the accessibility of instruments,
reflect on memorable musical experiences both the keyboards and a piano were made available
positive and negative, one student offered this for students to practise. However, many students
very singing of their name as a major negative chose to purchase or acquire their own keyboards,
experience. Abril (2007) stated that this anxiety recognising the value of the instrument for
can prevent students from becoming confident multiple purposes within the classroom setting.
to teach music to children. Even though recorder They were encouraged to begin building a
is often the choice of instrumental instruction in repertoire of children’s songs that could be used
primary schools, learning through this medium specifically for children. This collection would be
was rejected for the university students because relevant to the creative arts subject and other
one cannot sing and play the recorder at the same subjects for use across the school or early years’
curriculum.
Australian Journal of Music Education 73
Munday and Smith
Relating the musical learning children’s songs. However, with the tutor spending
to the classroom so much of the half-hour lesson on individuals’
needs, there was a lack of time for sufficient
As the students learned, and enhanced
relating of the newly acquired music/keyboard
their personal skills in music playing and
knowledge and skills to other practical classroom
understanding, they were also shown how these
teaching skills.
ideas could be transposed or translated to the
There have been attempts to use other learning
classroom. As many of them were beginners
strategies for those who have a physical or
themselves, they began to understand how they
intellectual difficulty with keyboard learning. These
might teach young children the elements and
have included computer programs and streamed
practical skills of playing instrumental music. The
tutorial classes. For example, two students who
tutors also demonstrated how the songs and
had previously completely misunderstood the
styles of music, along with extension activities
concepts of music literacy were able to follow a
could be adapted to the classroom. Examples
self-directed music computer program until they
of these processes were: the application of
had a basic understanding. Both of these students
pentatonic composition and arrangements on
had initial negative feelings about learning the
tuned percussion instruments when the student
keyboard but the computer programs seemed to
teachers were introduced to the black keys on the
change their attitude enough for them to return to
keyboard; composition of songs for classroom
keyboard classes. On the other hand, as would be
situations using the practice exercises (this also
expected in a large group of students, there were
helped the students to use their voices whenever
some who already had music skills and could play
possible throughout the musical learning journey);
a keyboard. These students were streamed into a
appreciation of different styles of music (classical,
music enrichment class.
folk, pop, and rock).
This learning culminated in the final year
practicum where the students were required to Student feedback
implement musical activities in both pre-school
Early in 2009, online anonymous surveys were
and primary settings. The results were remarkable,
given to second, third and fourth year students
with students relating stories of success and
to ascertain their opinions and feelings about the
mutual enjoyment.
keyboard classes. Most of this year’s beginners
claimed that they “had absolutely no idea of
The developing course
reading music” and also that they “had no idea
Variations of the music sequence have been
how to teach music to children”. Many students
running for thirteen years, although over time
who had completed three semesters of keyboard
there have been changes in tutors, bringing
lessons, chose the following comments from the
with them slight adaptations to the music
bank of statements offered: “I can read simple
teaching. In 2007 the focus was on individualised
music”, and “although I found it hard, I now feel
teaching. With the aid of the earphones, the tutor
good about my achievements”. It was reassuring
emphasised the process of listening to every
to read that a third of this group of students “now
student individually during class and going to the
(felt) confident to teach some aspects of music
aid of any student who was having difficulties.
to children”. Most fourth year students who had
Students each learned at their own rate and
completed four semesters of keyboard also chose
misunderstandings were quickly cleared up. The
the statement that they could read music and
students certainly made progress on the keyboard.
were confident to teach some aspects of music
They learned to sight-read and play simple chords,
and this skill transferred to playing suitable to children.
74 2010, No. 1
Educating pre-service classroom teachers
Bresler (1994) found that when student teachers “In the general music classroom, they (teachers)
were given a music course, the success in terms face uncertain singers, inaccurate singers, and
of whether the teachers eventually teach music uninterested or defiant singers, as well as eager
in the classroom seems to be related to the children who sing with appropriate head tone
students’ perception while they are studying of and good intonation” (Hess, 2006). It also seems
the relevance and usefulness of the music course. that even as far back as 1990, it was found that we
Some of the fourth years stated that the music Australians (and Americans) have had a cultural
that they had learned to play on keyboard was lack of enthusiasm for singing in public that is not
not relevant. The music learned was a variety seen in many other countries (Sins, 1990). How
of folk songs, jazz and transcribed classical can we overcome this fear, uneasiness or lack of
pieces. It had been earlier noted that students enthusiasm for singing so that our students will
had complained in class that they did not know sing with children? Sins suggests that singing in
commonly known songs such as “Lavender’s Blue”, large groups is one answer and this group singing
“Down in the Valley”, Mary Anne” and “Clementine”. has to become natural – done often and made
A lack of knowledge of basic folk songs and enjoyable.
nursery rhymes makes it evident that today’s In half-hour weekly keyboard classes, when time
tertiary students have themselves suffered from is so limited, the teacher should be the natural
poor music teaching in their kindergartens and singer, urging students to join in. Tunes played
primary schools. This feedback has shown that in on the keyboard could also be sung. Other large
future we should make more explicit the need for group activities such as the Creative Arts lectures
learning a particular repertoire. Students will need could incorporate more group singing.
convincing that traditional children’s songs are still
relevant and enjoyable. Future classes also need to Challenges for the new course
focus more on connecting the keyboard learning
In 2007, further revisions to undergraduate
to the classroom.
degrees were initiated. These changes were in
The three reasons for committing to a sustained response to the University drive to reduce its
stream of study of music in 1995 – individualisation number of subjects, particularly those with small
of student learning, the possibilities for music enrolments. Therefore the rationalising of similar
literacy and the scope for creative experiences subjects into one led to a complete revision of the
– are still relevant. Students’ understanding of B. Ed. (EC & Prim) from single campus offerings
the music language is important. It is essential to to cross-campus teaching of a singly structured
individualise tuition to give students confidence. program. This meant that the sequence of learning
The keyboard is still our preferred vehicle for attached to Professional Experience would not
learning but keyboard, music literacy skills and be sustained. The varied levels of expertise and
choice of repertoire must be demonstrated to be resources on each campus had to be considered
relevant to classroom teaching. before planning new approaches to students’
Although the case of students’ anxiety to sing gaining musical understanding. For example, the
is still relevant, Susan Kenney’s reminder of the campus with guitars and ukuleles had two expert
power of song (Kenney, 2008) to lay foundations of teachers while the third newer and smaller campus
music understanding and literacy, and the Kodaly had no instruments and the lecturer was not so
confident.
philosophy of emphasis on singing before reading
There are still two Creative Arts subjects over
in the music education of children (Choksy, 1999;
the four-year course, so instead of five sequential
Wicks, 2009) is a suggestion worth examination.
semesters of keyboard lessons there are now
Hess’s observation of school children is ours too:
two. Austin suggested that with the small
Australian Journal of Music Education 75
Munday and Smith
amount of time dedicated to music in Primary system so that students can review their learning.
teaching degrees, “it may be necessary for college Supplementing these modules with further
instructors to make a paradigm shift” (Austin, musical resources is a possible strategy that could
2000 in Berke & Colwell, 2004, p. 7). Austin used offer students a self-study process. This might
the analogy of teaching a foreign language, become particularly pertinent if the looming
suggesting that the “goal be ‘conversational’ music economic cuts affect staffing for previous ‘add-ons’
skills, rather than comprehensive acquisition of like music. Indeed, since beginning the reflective
musical concepts” (p. 7). The dilemma is finding the
process for this paper, moves have begun to
balance between learning enough of the music
further develop the ‘distance’ and blended learning
language to be confident in using it and passing
approach to delivery of the entire undergraduate
the skills and enjoyment on to children.
degree. This means personal development in
It was decided to write the Creative Arts subjects
music will need to be offered in chunks like
broadly to include music instruction with each
residential schools for the new distance and
campus able to choose an instrument that could
blended learning approaches.
be confidently taught within the subjects. Students
would have two semesters of instrumental Final reflections
classes that aimed at basic music literacy, while
So, where does that leave us now? One of the
consistently learning how to use their reading skills
authors (W.S.), the keyboard tutor for the last
to play other instruments that are likely to be in
three years, here reflects on the present situation.
schools (such as glockenspiels). One half hour per
The beginner class is currently in the sixth week
week, taken from the Creative Arts subjects would
of the first semester of keyboard classes. Most
be devoted to instrumental music. The remaining
students are enthusiastic and are enjoying
two and a half hours per week would comprise
the group playing together, especially using
a lecture and a tutorial on other aspects of the
glockenspiels, chime bars and singing to augment
arts, but dance, listening, singing and percussion
the “orchestra”. I am teaching the group as a whole,
instruments would be included. Care needs to
which means that individual needs may not be
be taken to ensure that the there is correlation
being well met. We are making slower progress
between the music in the Creative Arts lectures
than earlier classes on the keyboards but I can see
and tutorials and the understandings and skills
that the effort to consistently relate new learning
learnt in keyboard classes.
to glockenspiels and to percussion scores excites
Proposals for ensuring musical and empowers the students. One mature aged
knowledge in the new program student excitedly announced, child-like, “Listen
to this. I never thought I would be able to play the
It is disappointing that, knowing the effectiveness
piano!” If some students leave the university with
of previous models, we need to frame other ways
increased music skills, enthusiasm and confidence,
of achieving similar outcomes. The initial desire
the keyboard tuition will not be in vain.
is to continue with a scaled-down version of the
The second author (J.M.), who has been part of
past model. We hope that students will maintain
the whole process since 1995, here reflects on
their enthusiasm and be keen to explore avenues
that process.
of further personal development in music after
It’s been a curious and challenging task to consider
participating in the two Creative Arts subjects.
the various incarnations of music teaching and
Academic teachers are continually considering
learning during my (lengthy) time at CSU. The
ways in which this can be fostered.
initial importance assigned to the value of musical
Currently, the lecturer or tutor places the class
learning for the individual as the means for
materials into learning modules in the CSU online
76 2010, No. 1
Educating pre-service classroom teachers
confident transference of skills to music teaching Bissell, P. M. (1995). Keyboards launch students into music.
in the classroom has not diminished. If anything, Music Educators Journal, 82(1), 29.Bresler, L. (1994).
it has been endorsed by the evidence of the Bradley, D. (2008). Review of Australian Higher
Education. Retrieved 30/05/09. from http://www.
experiences of the students who have undertaken
deewr.gov.au/HigherEducation/Review/Pages/
the music classes and shown evidence in their final ReviewofAustralianHigherEducationReport.aspx
placement of being able to devise interesting and Bresler, L. (1994). Music in a double bind: Instruction by
engaging musical learning activities for children in non-specialists in elementary schools. Arts Education
under-5 settings as well as Primary school classes. Policy Review, 95(3), 30.
Knowing the value of these experiences leads us Brown, K. D. (2003). An alternative approach to
developing music literacy skills in a transient society.
to struggle with comparable, or possibly better,
Music Educators Journal, 90(2), 46.
ways to ensure quality learning continues to filter
Choksy, L. (1999). The Kodály method (Third ed.). New
through to the classrooms of the future. Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Department of Education and Training, Qld Government
Endnote
(2006). Music education hits the right note. Journal, (1).
Considering the Federal Government Retrieved from http://education.qld.gov.au/publication/
announcements (Bradley, 2008) on the proposed schoolsandparents/2006/issue1_music.html
Higher Education reforms, we can expect that Department of Education, Science and Training. (2005).
National review of school music education. Retrieved
the ways we’ve responded to trying to maintain
3 March, 2009 from http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/
music education and learning inside the pre- school_education/publications_resources/profiles/
service teacher degree may disappear completely. school_music_education.htm
Without any external pressure to include adequate Department of Education, Science and Training. (2005).
National review of school music education: Augmenting
technical learning in any Arts education provision
the diminished. Canberra: Australian Government.
for student teachers, the existing offering of music
Elkoshi, R. (2007). The effects of in-school stave notation
will probably fall victim to the increasing pressure learning on student’s symbolising behaviour and
to run additional literacy and numeracy programs. musical perception. Music Education Research, 9(3), 355-
371. school_music_education.htm.
Even the valiant efforts of those academics that
Harvey, I. (2008). Australian musical futures: Towards 2020.
value music and strive to ‘fight’ for its inclusion in
Retrieved 19/05/09, 2009, from http://www.mca.org.au/
pre-service teacher degree programs are facing web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=
what they see as insurmountable odds. The 280&Itemid=1
authors persist in striving for the aforementioned Hess, K. (2006). Teaching vocal canons: A dare and a chair.
Music Educators Journal, 92(5), 18.
‘paradigm shift’ in envisioning new ways to quickly
K-6 Creative arts syllabus. (2006). Retrieved. from http://
‘turn students on’ to the value of music learning, k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/go/creative-arts.
but concede that with dwindling numbers of Kenney, S. (2008). The power of a song. General Music
supporters in the program design process, the Today, 21(2), 35-38.
Music in a double bind: Instruction by non-specialists in
battle may indeed be lost.
elementary schools. Arts Education Policy Review, 95(3), 30.
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Jenni Munday is Associate Head of School and Wyverne Smith is a Lecturer at Murray School of Education at
Charles Sturt University, Albury.
Australian Journal of Music Education 77