Studies and practices show how music teaching can develop resiliency, transversal, basic and soft skills, promote self-esteem, cooperative behaviour and social integration, help coping with physical or psychological disabilities. However, music in school is being taught in many different ways and with many different aims.
Framing the non-traditional teaching approaches
Movement community has identified the need to recognize and systematize in a scientific and empiric way the features shared by different non-traditional teaching approaches that use music as a tool of personal growth and social inclusion for students. Outlining non-traditional music teaching will take into consideration the core idea that music is an agent of social development and inclusion, that supports students’ personal development according to the principles of equality, respect, solidarity, commitment, responsibility and teamwork.
It is also a collective experience: learning as a group, brings together multiple experiences (including success and unsuccessful attempts) that help shaping a deductive learning and collaborative problem solving process headed by pupils. This process generates personal satisfaction together with a sense of group empathy.
The Framework study will look into the “HOWs” (structure, costs...), “WHENs” (curricula, extra-curricular, duration) and “WHYs” (e.g. possibility to intercept fragile segments of student population) some approaches and techniques are used to reach out to the target population (students aged 6-12 including socially excluded segments), by starting from the experiences in the four local schools hubs.
A focus will be on the strategies adopted also during the Covid-19 emergency to grant the continuation of activities, to identify possible sustainable models.
The work will particularly pay attention to the most effective teaching methods related to different categories of pupils by taking into account e.g. gender, age, socio-economic situation, disabilities, language/terminology, timing (best teachable moments), learning environments (face-to-face; virtual, blended...) and delivery methods (hands on, virtual…).
The study will as well analyse the practices of Impact Evaluation linked to such non-traditional teaching approach, to highlight the underlying nuances related to the assessment of progress of students and analyse their relation with standardized measurement tools such e.g. Italian INVALSI, Finnish Oppimistulosten kansallinen arviointi, Spanish Evaluaciónes General de Diagnóstico. This part of the analysis will feed Intellectual Output 3 (IO3) – Impact Kit as well.
This analysis is crucial to elaborating the didactic system and the educational resources for the Curriculum, Intellectual Output 2 (IO2).
Framework Study will allow partners to: a) better understand and share the value of the different music teaching methodologies and practices available and in use; and b) define the main features of Movement multi-perspective approach. The study will combine practical experience of the educational staff from partner countries with and rigorous scientific approach. Specifically:
- conceptualization of an approach that combines universal features (e.g. group setting, approach to students, role of the teachers) with personalization (management of different students also based on their potential social/physical disadvantages, cultural approaches, integration with the school system), going beyond the idea of one method/methodology for all;
- bottom up approach (framework built starting from experience of professionals and students);
- relevance of specific context (family experiences, language knowledge, cultural background…);
- mixed contributions by academia, school communities, parent associations and music professionals, where sciences goes in support of practices as academia is asked to answer to real life questions and needs.
Expected Impact
- To frame the concept of multi-perspective non-traditional teaching in music from a scientific and practical point of view, by blending scientific rigor with hands-on application;
- To provide deeper insight on specific target needs and behaviours (teacher and musicians community) by analysing practices and identifying the possible strategies that could promote their professional and personal growth in relation to music teaching;
- To clearly identify the skills (among and within social, transversal, basic, life...) that could benefit the most from such approach among the beneficiary community (students between 6 and 12);
- To systematize and scale up the existing local professional knowledge, methodologies, and practices;
- To provide examples/models that other communities can adopt and fine-tune that can be adapted also to newcomers to inclusive music programs;
- To improve interaction with other educational staff, in a peer-to-peer approach in terms of increased capacity to analyse educational programs;
- To Increase awareness on the used/usable methodology.
Transferability Potential
Experiences from partners (see e.g. the internal assessment of multidisciplinary programs in Rouen and Madrid and UNIVDA academic experience) suggest the potential for transferability to other domains.
To allow this, key elements of the output will be used in the Transferability Plan.
Activity Leader and Partner Roles
Activity Leader: Università della Valle d’Aosta
Co-Leader: Fondazione per la Scuola
