Publication: Instructors in the primary music classroom : issues and challenges on partnerships and relationships
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Date
2016
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Abstract
Arts instructors from external agencies bring about different perspectives and experiences to the classrooms. In order for the objectives of the lessons to be achieved, the partnership and relationship between the instructors and school teachers have to be established.<br><br>This paper explores the experiences of arts instructors from an external agency, school teachers and students when the instructors were engaged to conduct an eight-week popular music songwriting course for Primary Six students. It investigates the working relationship amongst instructors themselves, as well as between the instructors and teachers, and instructors and students. Since this was the first time that this team of instructors partnered with this school, as well as, the first time the school has brought in instructors for a songwriting course, the study offers an insight into the partnerships and relationships from the beginning.<br><br>Through observations, interviews and students’ musical scores and sketches, it was found that partnership ties that are not strong may result in outcomes that are less than ideal. Particularly, the instructors’ lack of pedagogical knowledge, as well as the lack of teacher support pedagogically, had contributed to confusion and frustration amongst the students. Inadequate information sharing on students’ previous musical experiences formed further tensions. In school, the students did not have much performance training other than the recorder. As a result, they struggled through the course, which was keyboard-based. Even students who have had private training in classical piano, found difficulties relating to the popular music genre. I argue that there is a need to increase teachers’ awareness of instructor-teacher partnerships, as well as instructor-student relationships, before instructors are brought into schools so that instructors can fully share and impart their valuable experiences and knowledge to the students.