Research

Research for Ofqual - 'A' Level Qualifications and Subject Criteria Documentation (including 'A' Level Music & Music Technology)

Submitted by PyeTaitConsulting on 16 January 2012 : 9AM :

Our organisation, Pye Tait Consulting, has been contracted by Ofqual to carry out research that may lead to a major review of the criteria documentation for GCSE and GCE ‘A’ Level qualifications.

Research Approaches in Music Education

Extract:

Music departments, with their lively classrooms and many extended curriculum activities, offer vast
potential for researching and disseminating ideas across the wider educational community. Teachers
have the advantage of being embedded in the school context as ‘practitioner researchers’, able to
draw on their lived experience in questioning the musical behaviours that they encounter on a daily
basis. Their knowledge is often specific to a particular school, and in this respect complements the

Author name: 
Dr Stephanie Pitts
Description: 


The selection of a research question might be motivated by a clear educational need, such as the
wish to improve assessment practices in the music department, or to monitor the introduction of new
resources. Inevitably, practitioner researchers might wish to see a particular outcome that supports
their own educational ideals or aims. But good practitioner research must seek to avoid such bias
and to be genuinely questioning and exploratory in its aims and methods.

Music and the Rose Review: in praise of the wordless Jonathan Barnes, 2009

Summary

As the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum, Final Report, printed out at my desk I was intrigued by the 104 photographs which illustrate it. They give an encouraging message about the proposed future of primary education. Almost every photograph shows some kind of activity, most show smiling or engaged faces and the body language of involvement.

Author name: 
Jonathan Barnes
Author photo: 
Resource image: 
Description: 

As the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum, Final Report, printed out at my desk I was intrigued by the 104 photographs which illustrate it. They give an encouraging message about the proposed future of primary education. Almost every photograph shows some kind of activity, most show smiling or engaged faces and the body language of involvement. But less expected, is that well over half show children out of their desks, a third learning outside a traditional classroom and more than ten percent show children occupied in some kind of musical performance. At face value this message is good news for music teachers and children. We also know that photos of school music make good window dressing.

On subjecting the written text to analysis by the fascinating Wordle website, a different picture emerges. In Rose’s Curriculum Design and Content chapter (Chapter 2, pp. 36-53) the word ‘music’ features about as much as any other subject but in the all-important section on Essential for Learning and Life (Chapter 3 pp 54 – 81) ‘numeracy’, ‘literacy’ and ‘ICT’ overshadow any other words apart from ‘learning’ itself. The pictorial emphasis on learning in the world outside the classroom, through relationships, through friendship, through doing, creating, thinking, reflecting and experiencing seems not matched by a similar emphasis in words.

Action Research Tim Cain, 2009

Summary

This resource explains what action research is, as distinct from traditional educational research. It includes four examples of action research; two by teachers and two by trainee teachers. It outlines how to do action research, and brief notes about how to write it up. It provides links to useful sources of information about action research.

Author name: 
Tim Cain
Resource image: 
Description: 

This resource explains what action research is, as distinct from traditional educational research. It includes four examples of action research; two by teachers and two by trainee teachers. It outlines how to do action research, and brief notes about how to write it up. It provides links to useful sources of information about action research.

PhD Funded studentship in Music Education

Submitted by Martin Fautley on 22 October 2009 : 10AM :

I would like to advertise the fact that we have funding for a full-time PhD studentship in Music Education at KS3 at Birmingham City University. Details can be found on the website at www.bcu.ac.uk/researchbursaries . This is a rare opportunity, so if you know of someone who might wish to apply, please point them at this. Thanks. Martin Fautley - Reader in Music Education, BCU

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