REFLEXIONES DIDACTICAS

In a Master of Education study entitled Music Education in New Zealand Secondary Schools: Crisis or Crucible, Thwaites (1998) examined challenges facing secondary school music education. He speculated that the ‘crucible’ created by the changes to schooling “might bring about the creation of a new discourse for music education and new perceptions of the worth of music in schooling” (p. 3).

Thwaites’ thesis was written in the 1990s at the point in time when practical music making was being introduced into School Certificate and Bursary courses, when the first unit standards were being introduced, and during the time that the ANZC was being developed26_{. He found that there was little doubt that the introduction of internal}

assessment had significantly increased teachers’ workloads and that music teachers “work in constrained circumstances, working alone because of administrative or other situational constraints” (p. 183).

26 _{Thwaites was a member of the groups responsible for the development of the ANZC and the}

Thwaites (1998) suggested that the music teacher’s role was changing, as teachers moved from the role of a professional to that of an entrepreneur. He reported that “music teachers are part of a group whose unpaid labour generally contributes to a schools’ [sic] atmosphere, spirit and marketability” (p. 191) and that the dual role of being in charge of both curriculum and extra-curricular music that music teachers carried, had become an expectation which tended to be “tolerated in silence” (p. 188). Teachers often worked through their breaks and lunchtimes, and, especially before musical events such as productions or concerts, they often worked in evenings and at the weekend. Their workload impacted on their personal, family and social lives. Thwaites’ findings in relation to the heavy workload created by the dual role carried by music teachers echoes the situation in the UK. Swanwick (1999), for example, commented that “doing both jobs of music teacher and director of music rolled into one is onerous, especially when people are only paid for one of them” (p. 102).

Rohan (2011) for a doctoral thesis that examined the ways in which cultural diversity informs music education practices, interviewed music teachers from secondary schools within New Zealand, Australia and the United States. She found that while teachers believed that Western art music should not be privileged within classroom music teaching, their students had a limited understanding of musics beyond their own cultures. The implications for classroom teachers were that they needed to offer greater breadth and depth in their programmes. This, however, has workload implications and highlights the fact that the inner requirements of the world of music may be greater than the capacity of classroom systems to enact.

J. P. Scott (2006), as part of a Masters of Education degree, undertook a study of the leadership of one secondary HOD Music. He found the work of the HOD to be complex, consisting of many different tasks and expectations, and that HODs should receive adequate training for all the facets of their role. He also considered that senior managers be encouraged to find ways in which they could support the HOD Music and provide time and space for extra-curricular activities. It is of interest to note that Bennet (2008) cites as a major issue for first time subject leaders in New Zealand secondary schools, a lack of structured support and development for the role.

MENZA (2009) undertook a National Secondary Music Education Survey online, to which 137 secondary music teachers responded. The survey showed that at year 9, 61% of schools had some kind of compulsory course, and 39% provided an optional music course for students who were looking to take music as a senior subject. At year

10 only 56% of teachers reported that they had a full-year music course, with others generally reporting that their courses ranged from one to three terms. While teachers’ comments indicated that some were happy with the provision of music in the junior school, many were concerned at the number and configuration of timetabled hours, at the level of resourcing provided for music, and at the wide range of prior learning that students brought into their classes. At the senior level, the need to teach multi-level courses was raised as an issue by many respondents. Just over one third of the teachers – 35.4% – reported that they were teaching year 12 and 13 students together in one class. A further 13.4% were teaching years 11, 12 and 13 together in the same class.

3.2.2.1

Studies of itinerant teaching

Part of the responsibility of secondary music teachers is the management of the itinerant music scheme. Thus studies into music itinerancy are of relevance to this current project.

In 1995 the Council of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers of New Zealand surveyed their membership (Field, 1997). They found that approximately 75% of their members had some involvement with secondary school music education courses, many acting as itinerant teachers. Adequate communication between school music teachers and IRMT members was found to be an issue. “In most cases it is left with the pupil to communicate information about the performance course to the tutor. It is not clear who has the responsibility of informing their tutor about dates for performance assessments” (Field, 1997, p. 28). These findings were echoed by Carter (2003) in her Master of Teaching and Learning study entitled Itinerant Teachers of Music: A State of Flux. She found that the three dominant aspects of itinerancy were “temporality, invisibility and adaptability” (p. 75), that there were “problems in maintaining the fragile relationship between ITMs and HODs Music” (p. 78), and that communication about performance dates, reports, and changes to school routines was often poor.

Concerned at the situation pertaining to the provision of itinerant lessons, a group of secondary school teachers conducted an online survey with HODs and TICs in 2009 (Survey Group, 2009). Of the 47 responses, 74% came from state schools, with the remainder from state integrated and private schools. All decile types were represented and school rolls ranged between 60 and 2300 students. In response to the question, “Please describe who contributes financially to your itinerant programme”, 46% of respondents stated that the programme in their school was funded purely from the

Ministry of Education allocation for itinerant teaching. Twenty-two percent indicated that the Board of Trustees topped up funding, and 39% stated that students contributed financially in some way to their lessons. The teachers’ comments indicated that many needed more hours than were available, with some schools running waiting lists. Many teachers also found it difficult to target funding for both their juniors and seniors who were studying music for NCEA.

The MENZA survey undertaken in 2009 echoed these finding in relation to itinerant teaching. Of the 137 respondents, 88.5% stated that they had more students wanting music lessons than they could accommodate. In relation to the kinds of lessons offered, 73.1% of itinerant teachers took individual lessons, 81.5% provided tuition to groups of up to four, and 42.9% ran groups of over four students. The survey also found that 42.9% of itinerant teachers were involved in some way with extra-curricular music activities (MENZA, 2009).

Baker (2005a, 2005b, 2006) conducted a life history inquiry in England into the lives of 28 instrumental and vocal music service teachers - the equivalent of itinerant music teachers in New Zealand. The inquiry took place between October 2002 and March 2004 and the participants, who were aged from 22 to 60, represented a range of disciplines and professional positions. Music service teachers are employed by a Local Educational Authority (LEA) and provide lessons in both primary and secondary schools. In common with New Zealand secondary school practice, students are withdrawn from regular classes for group music tuition. However, whereas charges for itinerant tuition are not legal in New Zealand, in the UK the situation is somewhat different. A 1988 Education Reform Act had prohibited schools from charging for all extra-curricular learning, with the exception of individual instrumental tuition, but a 1993 Act extended permitted charges to group instrumental tuition of up to four pupils (Baker, 2005a).

Baker (2005a, 2005b, 2006) found that amongst music service teachers, strong parental influence was often a key factor in early motivation for music learning. Early motivation was also influenced by participation in community or extra-curricular music ensembles. Many found their classroom learning experiences to have been unrewarding. Many music service teachers did not undertake teacher training at the outset of their career and tended to model their personal teaching style on their own positive experiences of being taught. Baker (2005a) in developing a five phase career- course model found that teachers in phase 2 (ages 26-35) often experienced personal

isolation and found that some schools did not manage instrumental lessons well. Typical problems related to group size and teaching spaces.