An Alternative Approach to Music Education Research: Utilising Q-methodology and activity theory to identify and compare international cross-cultural viewpoints of classroom music teachers’ assessment beliefs in England and Singapore

Assessment is a contested term in school conceptualisation and practices. Assessment in music education has a variety of meanings, and complexities can arise from music teacher and school leader understandings of the term. Using an activity theory conceptual framework and Q methodology, this longitudinal research project sought to develop conceptualisations of assessment in music teacher practices in English and Singaporean secondary schools. This was achieved through sorting activities in two different surveys using Q Assessor software (Singapore) and Q-sort Touch software (England). There were 69 and 65 music teacher participants from England and 49 and 45 music teacher participants from Singapore for each p-set, respectively. Data were interpreted through Q Assessor and PQ Method (version 2.35), respectively, before being theorised into a discussion of music teacher assessment beliefs, to enable an international comparison of music teacher assessment perspectives. Findings, realised as activity systems, reveal complex and multiple influences and perspectives, indicating that teachers' approaches to musical assessment are guided by hidden signature assessment philosophies, which influence their assessment deployment into forms they consider to be meaningful.