Music Education as an Adventure of Knowledge.: Student and Teacher Experience as Conceptualizations of Musical Knowledge, Learning and Teaching

Music Education as an Adventure of Knowledge.: Student and Teacher Experience as Conceptualizations of Musical Knowledge, Learning and Teaching

This thesis by publication explores students’ and teachers’ conceptualizations of musical knowledge and learning within the context of the national Arts programme in Swedish upper secondary school. The point of departure is pragmatic ontology and epistemology, emphasizing a holistic view of education as communication and a democratic necessity. Using narrative inquiry and participatory action research approaches, two qualitative, empirical studies have been performed, revolving around the idea of students and teachers as agents within an externally controlled practice, and concerns issues of assessment, accountability and professionalism. The empirical material emanates from a mixed set of methods, including focus group interviews with 30 students and a participatory action research project with a core group of seven music teachers – all recorded in audio and transcribed on micro-level. The analysis was performed as narrative analysis and analysis of narratives (students), and text-analysis (teachers). The results show that both students and teachers have a multifaceted understanding of musical knowledge and learning. While the students’ experience of conceptualizing is one of novelty, the teachers express time and communication, both with peers and students, as necessities to be able to act professionally – including equivalent and legally certain assessment. Given the strong emphasis within public education on accountability, there is a great risk of both learning and teaching compliance. The results of this research show that students and teachers are curious, and have the will as well as the ability to conceptualize musical knowledge and learning in the form of a professional language. Taking the chance, as well as being given the opportunity, to share their experiences, upper secondary music education may very well become an adventure of knowledge.