Teaching as improvisational experience: Student music teachers’ reflections on learning during an intercultural project

Abstract

This qualitative instrumental case study explores Finnish student music teachers' experiences of teaching and learning as participants in an intercultural project in Cambodia. The Multicultural Music University project aimed at increasing master's level music education students' intercultural competencies by providing experiences of teaching and being taught abroad in traditional music and dance programs run by two Cambodian NGOs. The article suggests that beside the importance of learning new music and dance traditions, the student music teachers regarded the learning experiences gained through peerteaching in an unfamiliar context as significant, as these experiences provoked them to step out from their pedagogical comfort zones and to engage in a deep reflection on the nature of teaching and the purpose of music education. Rather than perceiving their teaching as individual achievements the student teachers' reflections proceeded towards an increasing emphasis put on the quality of joint interaction and the benefits gained from having to spontaneously create the structure of lessons in fast-changing situations. Based on the analysis of individual and focus group interviews and other research data, we discuss the concept of teaching as improvisation and its implications for teacher education.

The Reinvented Music Teacher-Researcher in the Making: Conducting Educational Development Through Intercultural Collaboration

“…The research is prompted by initiatives that actively aim to change and develop music teacher education to better respond to the demands of current issues, such as immigration, democracy, human rights and freedom of cultural expression(s). Such initiatives, to name a few, include: a teacher education project in Lebanon (Brøske and Storsve 2013); collaborative international master's degree programs, such as the Nordic Master of Global Music (GLOMAS) (Hebert and Saether 2013); the cultural exchange projects aiming to facilitate student-teachers with intercultural experiences in a 'foreign' culture (Saether 2003;Westerlund et al 2015; Kallio and Westerlund in this volume); teacher exchange and curriculum development work (Houmann 2018); research on sustainability in traditional cultures (Schippers and Grant 2016); intercultural music camps, such as Ethno (Ethno 2016); and, finally, global efforts of developing intercultural music teacher education exemplified by the Global Visions research project. All three authors of this chapter are music educators and researchers who have invested multiple years totally immersed in intercultural music education projects in Gambia, Vietnam, Nepal and 'at home' in Finland and Sweden (Houmann 2018;Saether 2003).…”

Negotiating individuality and collectivity in community music. A qualitative case study

“…But this does not mean that environments where participants interact in person have lost their relevance. In fact, such contexts may take on a new importance in face of the significant changes in cultural demographics that are occurring due to migration, where music educators are asked to respond to the challenges posed by an increasingly heterogeneous and intercultural society (e.g., Westerlund et al, 2015). This, indeed, is no easy task.…”

Intercultural Competencies for Education and Training the Prospective Music Teachers

“…They are asked to be able to make direct decisions to meet situational demands. According to Westerlund, Partti and Karlsen say, importantly, in intercultural projects, the element of improvisation in teaching is intensified because teachers are exposed to cultural shock, unknown conditions, diverse cultural values, and diversity of learners with varying backgrounds and very heterogeneous skills [1]. If it turns out students learn in a particular culture, then learning music should be pursued related to the cultures selected learners.…”

“…Right now the current educational institutions for music teachers have incorporated the intercultural experience for the students and the need for it has increased since interaction at the global level has become a regular activity [1]. Based on the preliminary studies we have done through in-depth interviews with educators from Germany they stated that right now Germany has been exposed to cultural diversity with the emergence of immigrants, refugees, and the increasing movement of people within the context of European society.…”