Description
The benefits of music education are well known, particularly in special schools, which are educational providers for those with additional needs. Although there is wide-spread agreement that access to music should be an equitable opportunity, this is not always the case. Musical opportunities are often mediated via generalist classroom teachers in special schools and this continues to be an area for development, particularly in better understanding classroom teachers’ knowledge, understanding and confidence in this area.The Inspiring Sounds research is an evaluation of a three-year Youth Music funded project in special schools. The project brought together specialist music teachers from the local Music Education Hub with generalist school teachers to explore their perceptions, their perceptions of success and the challenges they experienced. Findings are based on semi-structured interviews with three generalist classroom teachers, two specialist music teachers and the project lead. These interviews were analysed thematically, to enable the research to delve beneath the surface and bring previously hidden understandings to light.
Research findings reveal the differing educational perceptions that exist in these stakeholder groups and this is developed into a discussion of educational cross-cultural perspectives. The impact of the manner in which these different groups regard music-making and learning is explored, along with their potential significance for music education in special schools. A model of teacher interactions for musical development is presented, considering the location of musical learning within this model and how it might be further facilitated. Recommendations are made for the development of special school music curriculum guidance, music partnership interactions and school connections in further enabling special school music experiences for young people.
| Period | 11 Apr 2023 → 14 Apr 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Research in Music Education (RiME) Conference 2023 |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | London, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |