Higher Education Music Students' Perceptions of the Benefits of Participative Music Making

This study aimed to assess the perceived impact of music students' active engagement in music making. Seventy-eight music students were asked to report on the impact that their participation in music making had on their lives. The data were analysed using Atlas.ti software. The findings fell within three categories: music making as a musical act, which allowed participants to deepen their musical knowledge and understanding; music making as a social act, where students felt that they were active contributors to a group outcome, developed a strong sense of belonging, gained popularity and made friends with 'like-minded' people, enhancing their social skills, and building up a strong sense of self-esteem and satisfaction; and music making influencing the self in terms of personal skill development facilitating the students' personal identity and encouraging the development of self-achievement, self-confidence and intrinsic motivation

Trainee primary school teachers' perceptions of their effectiveness in teaching music

In England, there have been concerns that some primary teachers lack the necessary skills to teach the National Curriculum. The aim of this research was to ascertain the level of confidence of students completing a one-year primary teacher-training programme in relation to teaching in general and teaching music in particular. 341 students from four higher education institutions in England completed a short questionnaire. While almost all teachers had confidence in their ability to teach, only about half were confident about teaching music. There were statistically significant differences in response depending on whether the students played one or more musical instruments. Instrumentalists were more confident, those playing more than one instrument exhibiting the highest levels. Most students believed that more time should be spent on training, although they praised its quality. The implications of the findings are discussed and alternative ways of addressing the problem are considered