Nontraditional music classes: creation, implementation, and teacher identity
Date
2018
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Music teachers across the country are searching for ways to become even more relevant in their students’ lives. At the secondary school level, course offerings in nontraditional music contexts are slowly being offered. The purpose of this study was to examine the cases of two teachers of nontraditional music classes to provide a deep description of their experiences with nontraditional classes for comparative analysis. Specifically, participants’ perspectives on course creation and course instruction were examined. Additionally, participants’ role-identities were examined. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and the gathering of curricular documents to provide a holistic description of each case. Findings included teachers having initial struggles when beginning their programs. The courses were enticing to both traditional and nontraditional music students. Both teachers described themselves as pupil-centered teachers and incorporated teaching strategies that helped lead to student success. Recommendations for beginning a nontraditional music class are also given.
Description
Keywords
Communication and the arts, Education, Course creation, Guitar, Nontraditional music class, Role-identity, Steel band