The Influence of Informal Music Education in Teacher Formation: An Autoethnography

In this paper I explore how my musical background, teaching skills, understanding and knowledge as well as music-making abilities and skills, have formed my current self as musician, teacher and researcher. An autoethnographical method is used to investigate my background, including the different modes of music education I received. From this qualitative study, it was possible to find that my interests along with the methods of interpretations I practice in the field of multicultural music are influenced by and formulated through my appreciation and understandings of and beliefs gained from education. Most importantly, they are shaped by the social context, cultural placing, and life experiences

An Analysis of the Status of Teacher Certification in the Australian Capital Territory Following the Introduction of the Modular Model

This paper reports on research conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Certification Modular Model 2.0 (CMM 2.0) offered by the Teacher Quality Institute of the Australian Capital Territory. The research evaluated the extent to which the CMM 2.0 was attractive, sustainable and developmental. The data was collected via two surveys conducted with, teachers who were prospective applicants to the CMM 2.0 and current and former certification participants. A case study method was used to conduct this research. Coding and systematic analysis were applied to the data by using the three selected categories attractive, developmental and sustainable. Most participants appreciated the developmental nature of the Modular Model and saw this approach as affording them with opportunities to gain professional recognition. This study contributes to knowledge about modular approaches to teacher certification and has potential to have influence on certification design and implementation in the Australian context and internationall

Creating Multicultural Music Opportunities in Teacher Education: Sharing Diversity through Songs

This paper contributes to the knowledge base for preparing pre-service teachers (PSTs) for contemporary multicultural classrooms. To do so, we refer to our ongoing project “See, Listen and Share: Exploring intercultural music education in a transnational experience” across three Higher Education sites (Australia and Spain). Drawing on our narrative, and PSTs’ questionnaire data, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to analyze and code the PST data, we report on our initial experience and findings across the three sites and cultural contexts. Generalisations to other institutions cannot be made. We discuss what was taught and how it was taught in our three settings, highlighting some key highs in relation to enjoyment, and learning from culture bearers and some lows in relation to language and accompaniment. We contend that music education in teacher education courses may serve as an effective vehicle to explore cultural expressions, enabling positive attitudes towards cultural diversity

The Role of the Arts in Education for Peacebuilding, Diversity and Intercultural Understanding: A Comparative Study of Educational Policies in Australia and Spain

This article reviews and analyses educational policies and curricula for general education in Australian and Spanish systems, in relation to their concerns for arts education to contribute to values education and the acquisition of peaceful, social and civic competences in schools. The use of the arts to shape individual and community identities, to enhance relationships between people, to promote positive conflict transformation, development and, in general, contribute to peacebuilding, has been acknowledged worldwide. Curriculum helps to legitimise what is considered to be important to learn within a society and therefore determines what is included to be understood as good artistic knowledge and practices. The documentary analysis of both Australian and Spanish educational documents in relation to teaching and learning of the arts gives responses on the extent the arts are expected to contribute to build peaceful and sustainable societies, and faces some current challenges of the role of the arts in schools.This work was supported by the University Jaume I of Castellón (Spain) under Research project P1·1A-2015-01