Bernard W. Andrews

Musical contracts: fostering student participation in the instructional process

Contract learning is an approach to classroom instruction that emphasizes teacher-student collaboration in the teaching-learning process. Participation in instructional decision-making encourages students to take responsibility for what happens to them, and it engenders a greater sense of commitment to the outcomes of the music program. In music education, where large group performance-based instruction is prevalent, students often feel that they are alienated, and the programs do not meet their personal needs. This article illustrates how the strategy can be adapted for music instruction, and outlines the benefits that contract learning offers for fostering student participation in the instructional process.

Towards the future: Teachers’ vision of professional development in the arts

Teachers enrolled in a professional development program involving artists on site at cultural institutions participated in a study in which they expressed their views on upgrading in the arts. Findings indicate that they were influenced in their own schooling by passionate teachers who conveyed the importance of the arts. Their progress was impeded by a self-perception of their own limited artistic ability. Community experiences, such as private lessons and amateur productions, played a more significant role in their development. The ideal scenario for their personal and professional development in the arts is an environment where discipline-based and integrative curricular activities are offered, and both the creative process and the creative product are valued. Lack of personal expertise, limited professional development opportunities, and inadequate funding are obstacles that can be overcome by teacher commitment to upgrading in the arts, a range of arts courses offered by education faculties, and involvement by arts stakeholders in program design and delivery, respectively.