Informal and non formal music experience: power, knowledge and learning in music teacher education in Chile

Abstract

Previous research recognises the importance of musical experiences on music teacher education. However, current efforts do not provide a comprehensive view of the way their students learn music before starting university. The objective of this study is to portray their musical experiences, identifying the distinctive mechanisms underlying the relationship between practices, repertoires and training contexts for music learning. A combination of pedagogical, social and musical dimensions, inspired by sociological theories of P. Bourdieu and B. Bernstein, examine the pre-university musical experiences and the mediating role of students' sociocultural origins. Empirically, multimodal information from four Chilean universities (n=55) was collected through the application of a survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, and analysed using a set of mixed techniques, including descriptive statistics, text mining and content analysis. Findings reveal relevant associations between practices, repertoires and learning contexts, especially in terms of the specialized nature of musical training and the habitus and cultural dispositions of practitioners. Particularly relevant is the predominance of informal and non-formal learning contexts and their translation into specific types of learning. These challenge current perspectives and contribute a tool kit for the understanding of the relationship between power and knowledge in future professional teachers.

Mapping the cultural elements that support and inhibit music teachers’ sociomusical identities in Chile

“…Some participants stressed that they did not learn music at either primary or secondary school (cf. Poblete et al, 2019), in some cases reporting violent behavior on the part of teachers. In this way, the current generation of teachers can be seen to question the reputation of their now-retired predecessors.…”

Shifting lights through the interstices: Extending notions of what it means to learn music in higher education

“…The hierarchical structures involved in music learning can reflect a particular power relationship between student and teacher, or students and students, and reinforces the notion of power/knowledge (Poblete et al, 2019). Foucault (1977) emphasizes that power is not discipline; rather discipline is simply one way in which power can be exercised, and that both discipline and power are ways in which to create "normalization" of the body, of actions, of thinking and understanding, as he explains:…”

Musical skills in the Spanish Grado university degree in Early Childhood Education. How do Spanish university students view their preparation?

“…Regarding curriculum content, it would be recommendable to promote the concept that music can be used on different levels and that it is not only a specialized discipline (Biasutti 2010). At the same time, it would also be advisable to make greater use of students' informal musical abilities: in other words, to aim for musical skills that are based on the informal learning and knowledge of music which they already possess (Carroll 2020;Poblete, Leguina, Masquiarán, and Carreño 2019;Seddon and Biasutti 2008). Thus, we can perceive that at the Spanish university curricular level, albeit preliminarily, we must put the focus of teaching on improving skills in the four factors that are considered in the questionnaire used (in press): factor C1 (knowledge concerning sound events and their potential didactic applications for Early Childhood Education), factor C2 (knowledge associated with psychological processes, methodologies and resources for Early Childhood Education), factor C3 (use and design of concrete didactic text-music applications for Early Childhood Education) and factor C4 (knowledge related to different cultures and styles).…”