Julia Brook

Can an online tool support contemporary independent music teaching and learning

The body of research examining deliberate practice and self-regulation in musical instruction has grown extensively over the past several decades, while at the same time many practices in the independent music studio remain unchanged and/or under-researched. Compelling evidence indicates that students with high levels of self-regulation experience deep fulfilment as musicians. But in order to develop these self-regulatory behaviours, students need guidance as they learn to set goals and monitor, and reflect on, their progress. The research reported here describes how a web-based electronic portfolio, called iSCORE, served to enhance the experiences of students and teachers and to help students become more self-regulated. The results demonstrated that the tool supported learning by helping students articulate their goals more clearly and by making it easier to receive guidance from their teachers between lessons.

Conceptions of doctoral education: the PhD as pathmaking

Our paper is a conversation with the implicit and explicit expectations of the academy, namely that as doctoral students we must achieve a high degree of intellectual autonomy and generate new knowledge. We contest the implications of this view of learners and learning – that learners are autonomous intellectual agents, that knowledge is a private possession, that cognition is an individual process, and that learning is a static and singular path. We propose instead an understanding of learning as pathmaking, which suggests a creative, richly textured, open‐ended, collaborative and passionate process through which new possibilities emerge. This paper comes out of our shared experiences of doctoral studies in Education. We began with initial conversations about our learning in an Ontario Faculty of Education, which then unfolded into a decision to write a paper together. Our process oscillated between individual writing, shared discussion, and analysis. After jointly identifying six keywords, each of us wrote a reflection about a different one – then we merged our individual reflections into a larger whole. The authorial voices in the paper vary between ‘I’ (representing individual reflections of six authors) and ‘we’ (representing the collective voice).

Parental involvement in children’s independent music lessons

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to examine types of parental involvement associated with independent music lessons. A self-report survey was designed to explore parent characteristics, parental goals, students’ musical progress, the teacher–student relationship, the practice environment, and parent behaviours during practice sessions. The extent to which the outcomes of enjoyment and progress could be predicted by parenting goals and values, time spent practising, teacher qualities, and student self-regulation was also examined. The survey was distributed through Canada’s Royal Conservatory, yielding 2583 surveys for analysis. Results indicated that parents were deeply invested in their children’s music lessons, as reflected in the years of commitment to music instruction, the thoughtful roles that they took in supporting their children’s evolution as self-regulating musicians, and the respect that they held for their children’s teachers. Evidence suggested that positive teacher–student relationships and parental involvement in practice sessions between lessons predicted student enjoyment of music and musical progress.

How Much Professional Development Is Enough? Meeting the Needs of Independent Music Teachers Learning to Use a Digital Tool.

Even though there are demonstrated benefits of using online tools to support student musicians, there is a persistent challenge of providing sufficient and effective professional development for independent music teachers to use such tools successfully. This paper describes several methods for helping teachers use an online tool called iSCORE, including embedded online support, targeted email messages, webinars, and face-to-face workshops. Using contemporary frameworks for characterizing continuing professional development, the success of each of these teaching approaches, separately and in combination, is considered through an examination of teacher feedback, uptake of the tool by students, and the interview data from an advisory board made up of teachers, educators, software designers and developers, publishers, and business leaders. Inherent tensions and difficulties in designing appropriate professional development are discussed.

Student Experiences with Studio Instruction.

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to examine students’ experiences of independent music lessons, and to ascertain what factors predicted enjoyment and success, especially those predictors arising from self-regulation learning theory. A self-report survey was used to gather data on student demographics, practising habits, musical skills, achievements, and enjoyment. The survey was distributed through a Canadian conservatory system and other music schools in Canada, yielding 3920 surveys for analysis. Intrinsic motivation was the most salient predictor of enjoyment, persistence, and beliefs regarding musical self-efficacy for these highly engaged students. Additional contributing predictors for successful performance included focussing on aural abilities, motivation to acquire musical skills, and prior success at performing in public. The paper closes with a discussion of the role of intrinsic motivation for lifelong musicianship, as well as how future research might focus on broadening the student sample and on cross-validating student results with data from parents and teachers.

Characteristics of Independent Music Teachers.

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to learn about the characteristics of independent music teachers, their beliefs about music teaching, and their studio practices. A self-report survey included questions about the teachers’ (a) background experiences, (b) pedagogical approaches, (c) use of digital technologies, and (d) professional development practices. Of the 1468 teachers responding to the survey, most predictably reported that a central activity was the study of repertoire from notated music. However, many of the teachers also reported teaching additional music components, such as playing by ear, composing, and improvising. Teachers described how parents supported their children’s music learning, and claimed that the greatest challenge for teachers was motivating students to practise. The responses to the use of digital technologies were widely varied. These teachers responding to the survey regularly availed themselves of professional development opportunities to advance both their musical knowledge and pedagogical practices.