Title: Provocations about researching music education
Abstract: The questions that give rise to this reflective article are: What does music education research make possible? How might we work more productively with teachers and young people? Lather and St Pierre (2013) remind us of ethical charge of our work as inquirers ... to question our attachments that keep us from thinking and living differently (p. 631). Recently writing about reflexivity, I came across work of Sriprakash and Mukhopadhyay (2015) who write about second-order effects of researcher's role as knowledge broker and translator. They suggest that second-order engagement with reflexivity encourages us to trace ways in which knowledge about educational development is assembled: how particular 'truths' about educational development are produced through empirical studies, how these 'truths' circulate, and how they gain an apparent stability and durability (p. 232) We have seen these 'truths' persist about music education with its instrumental justification for benefits of music, driving up test scores in language and mathematics--benefits that have removed educational thinking about unique role that music plays in culture of all peoples, in contributing to development of creativity and prosocial attitudes such as intercultural understandings, and in remembering that educated person is not a thing but a human being with an altered outlook. In a context where tertiary institutions are redefining their place in society and looking at offerings they make available to students, it is worthwhile to pay attention to ideas of Biesta (2007) who writes about resisting replacement of professional knowledge with 'what works'. He suggests the 'what works' agenda of evidence-based practice is at least insufficient and probably misplaced in case of education, because judgment in education is not simply about what is possible (a factual but about what is educationally desirable (a value judgment) (Biesta, 2007 p. 10). Furthermore, he makes a case for centrality of teacher in education in promoting cognitive and moral independence of (2015, p. 12). This is case whether students are of school age, in undergraduate or postgraduate study. In 2015, there have been publications on doctoral candidates--Rohan Nethsinghe and Jane Southcott (International Journal of Doctoral Studies 10, 167-185)--and on remote musical interactions for teacher professional development--Michael Dezuanni, Andy Arthurs and Phillip Graham (AJME 1, 29-41). Research has encompassed guitar pedagogy --David Russell and Paul Evans (AJME 1, 52-63)--and motivation to study music in Australian schools --Gary McPherson, Margaret Osborne, Margaret Barrett, Jane Davidson and Robert Faulkner (Research Studies in Music Education 37 (2) 141-160). Music education research also explores interactions with health issues such as hearing loss--Elizabeth Beach and Megan Gilliver (AJME 1, 3-12)--and effects of technology--Chris Klopper and Katie Weir (AJME 1, 42-51). In broader context of Arts-based learning, Brydie-Leigh Bartleet, Dawn Bennett, Anne Power and Naomi Sunderland published on outcomes of service learning (Engaging First Peoples in Arts based Service Learning: Towards Respectful and Mutually Beneficial Educational Practices Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer). In thinking about research in music education, how few and precious are opportunities for colleagues to have time to reflect together, to share research ideas, to build a collaborative partnership. Internationally, there is International Society for Music Education, with its commissions. There are also conferences that focus on specific aspects of music education such as performance practice or specific aspects of musicology. In Australia, Australian Society for Music Education conference encompasses papers and workshops. There is also Australian and New Zealand Association for Research in Music Education (ANZARME), with its annual conference. …
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-07-01
Language: en
Type: article
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