Team teaching in the conservatoire: The views of music performance staff and students

Abstract

Team teaching – two or more teachers sharing the training of a group of students – has only recently been implemented in the curricula of many higher music education institutions. This article reports on a survey of 142 music students and their tutors from three departments (the Schools of Strings, Vocal and Opera Studies, and Wind, Brass and Percussion) in a major British conservatoire. Team teaching had been in use for one year in the first department, five years in the second and 30 years in the third. The extent to which respondents valued team teaching was not, however, related to the length of time it had been in use. Key benefits of team teaching were seen as exposure to new ideas and additional feedback. Respondents suggested a variety of improvements to mitigate drawbacks such as perceived differences between tutors' approaches and limited time for individual tuition. Provided tutors and students communicate effectively with each other and negotiate where necessary, this method of teaching and learning is likely to be beneficial for all.

Teacher and student perspectives on one-to-one pedagogy: practices and possibilities

“…Most teachers had a strong concept of the way the one-to-one approach might (or does) form part of a suite of pedagogical tools that combine to provide students with a more complete and multi-dimensional learning environment, especially considering the 'fundamentally social processes that are implicated in becoming a musician' (Juuti & Littleton, 2010, p. 482). These tools may include master classes, workshops and studio seminars (Creech et al, 2009;Long et al, 2012), team teaching arrangements (Wöllner & Ginsborg, 2011) and informal and peer learning (Lebler, 2008), though the latter did not feature prominently in participants' responses in this study.…”

“…One study, for example, indicates that while master classes provide students valuable performance opportunities and generate new ideas on interpretation and technique, students also reported barriers to learning in the master class environment, including impaired concentration and performance anxiety (Creech et al ., 2009). Another study revealed that team teaching was beneficial in terms of exposure to new ideas and gaining additional feedback, but may carry certain drawbacks for students, including limited individual attention and differences between teachers’ approaches (Wöllner & Ginsborg, 2011).…”

Enhancing learning and teaching in the tertiary music studio through reflection and collaboration

“…While this is highlighted within higher education literature at large, conservatoires, and more specifically one-to-one instrumental and vocal tuition, have been slower to respond to this shift. While there are several pedagogical models that have been investigated for their potential to support the 21 st century tertiary music student -such as small group lessons (Daniel, 2004;, ensembles (Harrison, O'Bryan, & Lebler, 2013), team teaching (Wollner & Ginsborg, 2011) and collaborative learning (Gaunt & Westerlund, 2016) -one-to-one instruction currently serves as the primary method by which tertiary music students receive their practical skills and performance-based training globally (AEC, 2010). Ongoing evaluation of this model is therefore required in order to ensure the approach to one-to-one tuition best meets the needs of students.…”

The intermediate piano stage: exploring teacher perspectives and insights

“…Creech & Hallam, 2002; Thompson, 2002; Macmillan, 2004; StGeorge, 2004), the majority refer to either the beginner or advanced student (e.g. Presland, 2005; Jacobson, 2006; Daniel, 2008; Wöllner & Ginsborg, 2011), or to the generic attributes required for teaching the piano (e.g. Baker-Jordan, 2003).…”