Music teacher training in Denmark

Sven-Erik Holgersen

Danish School of Education

University of Aarhus

Denmark

Background

Reasons to investigate music teacher training in Denmark

• The current situation for children under school age (Holgersen, 2008)

• Challenges for elementary music teaching

• Challenges for music teacher training

Early childhood in Denmark 2006

90% of 1-2 year olds and 96% of 3-6 year olds attend day care provisions.

Compulsory school starts at 7 but nearly all starts preparatory class at 6.

Day care and kindergartens are provided by local authorities: 2/3 of the staff have a BA in pedagogy and 1/3 has no formal training. Very little musical training.

9% of all 0-8 year olds attend music teaching provided by trained music teachers.

Challenges for elementary music teaching

I shall suggest a distinction between

“elementary music teaching” aiming at e.g. aesthetic education, music appreciation, musicianship.

“applied music teaching” aiming at e.g. linguistic development, social or cultural inclusion, special education.

Challenges for music teacher training

The interest of the current investigation is to look beyond teaching methods and different ideas about repertoire considered more or less appropriate for young children of a certain culture.

”Didaktik” and ”Bildung”

”Didaktik” concerns the goal and content of education, whereas the English term “didactic” refers to the teaching itself, i.e. “meant to teach”, or in teacher training “directing how to teach”.

The concept of Didaktik is rooted in the German tradition of humanities called “Geisteswissenshaft”.

“Bildung” focuses on cultural and spiritual aspects of education as well as on the attainment of personal individuality (Nielsen, 2007).

Curriculum vs. Didaktik

“Put simply, according to the curriculum tradition, the teacher is to act as a “technician”, communicating the contents of the teaching/learning subject as stated in the written curriculum and as determined by central authorities (Westbury 1998).

In the Didaktik tradition the teacher is expected to be able to take part in discussions about educational aim and content and to contribute to developing them.” (Nielsen, 2007)

Current investigation

“The training of music teachers specializing in young children: A comparative perspective on educational content and professionalization”

Analysis of study programmes at 2 conservatories

Surveys

1. Music educators teaching at conservatories (n=58)

2. Music teachers trained at conservatories (n=36)

Music teacher training programmes

BA and MA programmes relevant for early childhood:

• General music teacher programmes specialising in music and movement, ensemble instruction or early childhood with varying emphasis on elementary music teaching.

And to some degree

• Instrumental or vocal programmes specialising in classical, jazz or traditional music and with little emphasis on elementary music teaching.

Main research questions

1) What should be the core content of music teacher training specializing in young children?

2) How and to which degree does music teacher training at conservatories contribute to the professionalization of early childhood music teachers?

Main survey questions

1. To what extent should music teacher training relate to practical, theoretical or pedagogical aspects?

2. What should be the core content of music teacher education specializing in young children?

3. Which criteria should form the basis for evaluation of professionalism in music teachers trained at a music conservatory?

4. How and to which degree do current music teacher training programmes provide an adequate basis for teaching music to young children?

Main content areas defined

1. Musical practice e.g. instrumental and vocal performance, listening, movement, conducting, and ear training, improvisation, composition (related to 2).

2. Music theory e.g. notation, scales, history of music, musical analysis and arrangement, function of the voice.

3. Music pedagogy / Didaktik e.g. planning, practicing and reflecting on music teaching, knowledge of teaching plans, theory about music Didaktik, knowledge of music education practices.

In your professional opinion, which percentage of the entire teaching time of the study programme should be allocated to musical practice and theory of music and music pedagogy,

respectively?

In your professional opinion, which percentage of the entire teaching time of the study programme should be allocated to musical practice and theory of music and music pedagogy,

respectively?

Musical practice

Theory of music

Music pedagogy

46%58%

23%20%

31%22%

Music teachersMusic educators

Teachers’ comments

• ”Very often theory and music pedagogy can be an integrated part of musical practice.” (50/25/25 %)

• ”It is important that the theory and pedagogy is consciously reflected in musical practice, so that students will recognize the connections. The ’Didaktik’ regarding planning, realization and evaluation of teaching should always be integrated.”

• ”I am not sure how to explain this, but music teacher training should not contain too much reading. It is good to aquire knowledge about pedagogical ideas, but to me practice and pedagogical praxis is the most important … that is what we need when we are ”let out” [of the conservatory].”

Educators’ comments

• ”This question does not make sense”

• ”There is no adequate answer to this question, because it entirely depends on the student’s talent, level, ability to reflect and developmental potential with respect to artistic expression, pedagogy, music as subject matter and instrumental technique.”

• ”Please refer to the teaching plan for the study programme in question.”

Music teachers: Which emphasis should music teacher training programmes give to basic subject matters?

00,51

1,52

2,53

3,54

4,55

Music educators: Which emphasis should music teacher training programmes give to basic subject matters?

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

5

1 2 3 4 5

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1 2 3 4 5

Which emphasis do music teacher training programmes at conservatories give to basic subject matters?

Which emphasis do music teacher training programmes at conservatories give to basic subject matters?

GMT musicologymusic as art craftmanship

mp theory

mp practice

total ECTS

BA 45 23 37 10 65 180

MA 15 15 15 7 68 120

60 38 52 17 133 300

BA 24 33 34,5 9 79,5 180

MA 5 20 25 15 55 120

29 53 59,5 24 134,5 300

Conservatory 1:

Conservatory 2:

Which criteria should form the basis for evaluation of professionalism in music teachers trained at a music conservatory?

average values (ratings 1 to 5) indicate respondents’ personal beliefs teacher educator

1) the teacher is able to make students express themselves musically 4,8 4,7

2) the teacher is able to express herself in musically adequate ways 4,5 4,5

3) the teacher is able to make students express themselves (generally) 4,3 4,1

4) the teacher master the disciplines of music as a subject matter 4,1 4,1

5) the teacher can motivate, justify and reflect her own and other teaching practice using music pedagogical theories and concepts (Didaktik)

4,0 2,9

6) the teacher can conduct and participate in pedagogical development 3,9 3,4

7) the teacher can motivate, justify and reflect her own and other teaching practice using theories and concepts about music as a subject matter

3,4 3,2

8) the teacher can develop new theory about teaching music 3,1 2,8

9) the teacher can motivate, justify and reflect her own and other teaching practice using her knowledge about current teaching plans and curriculum regulations related to her teaching institution

2,6 2,5

Which criteria should form the basis for evaluation of professionalism in music teachers trained at a music conservatory?

Music teachers

00,51

1,52

2,53

3,54

4,55

… th

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subject

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… m

usic pedagogical (Didaktik

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… te

aching plans a

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aching

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… conduct a

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… m

ake st

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Which criteria should form the basis for evaluation of professionalism in music teachers trained at a music conservatory?

Music educators

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

… th

eories a

nd conce

pts about m

usic as a

subject

matter

… m

usic pedagogical (Didaktik

) theorie

s and concepts

… te

aching plans a

nd curric

ulum reg. re

lated to her te

aching

institutio

n

… conduct a

nd participate in

pedagogical development

… can develop new th

eory about teaching m

usic

the teach

er maste

r the disc

iplines o

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as a su

bject matte

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… exp

ress herse

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… m

ake st

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ally

… m

ake st

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Educators’ comments

• “Pedagogical theory as an educational subject can hardly justify its relevance for the students. Combining closely with practical disciplines and the main subject would make it possible to motivate more students to engage in pedagogical theory.”

• “I think it is important to work with pedagogical theory in order to inspire the student to reflect on pedagogical practice in a more general sense. But also important that tutors in pedagogical practice can relate to pedagogical theory.”

• I feel inclined to protest against these many questions, because they can not be answered in a sensible way.

Teachers’ comments

Comment to the questionnaire as a whole:

”The questionnaire indicates that respondents thoroughly consider their answers - but if you do so, you will never reach the end. On the other hand, rushing through the sheets would make no sense at all.”

Tentative conclusion• Music teachers and educators (in Denmark) tend to disagree

about the importance of music pedagogy as regards practical as well as theoretical aspects.

• Music teachers and even more educators tend to value practical over theoretical knowledge.

• The choice of main subject as well as personal experience with teaching practice seem to be important factors in teachers’ and educators’ construction of different values.

• Music educators tend to understand teacher training in terms of apprenticeship rather than acquisition of professional competence in teaching.

• Music teacher training is in effect vocational rather than professional – though it is claimed to be so.