Critical Perspectives in Canadian Music Education

Eleven: Focusing on Critical Practice and Insights in the Music Teacher Education Curriculum

E L E V E N Focusing on Critical Practice and Insights in the Music Teacher Education Curriculum Betty Anne Younker Introduction The profession of music education encompasses multiple aspects, including educating students (1) in school-based settings, (2) in undergraduate programs for those who will go on to teach in school-based settings, and (3) in graduate programs for those who currently teach in school-based settings. In each, it is essential that students be thoughtfully engaged as they think in and about music. For those who work with prospective music teachers in university settings, it is imperative that questions be asked about the diverse student population that they may teach, the content that will be covered, and the way in which their students will be engaged with music, thus positing questions about the who, what, and how of teaching. Such an examination should include thinking that is critical and that contributes to one’s reflective practice. To think critically about the various aspects of music education and reflect on one’s practice can contribute to growth and evolution at the individual and professional levels. This chapter, then, is about critical thinking and reflective practice, the definitions and characteristics of each, the relationships between the two, and the applications to students’ development as thinking musicians 16 5 16 6 B e t t y A n n e Y o u n k e r throughout their undergraduate experience, all of which can inform the profession about structure and process of curriculum. With an aim to transform curriculum through the lens of critical thinking and reflective practice, the chapter closes with suggestions for curricular renewal, in terms of structures and process, for undergraduate curricula in North American schools of music. With the inception of Schools of Music in the United States, circa 1900 (Mark, 1996), came criteria for core curriculum and requirements for specific degree programs in music, which continue to be “felt” in schools of music across North America. Present curricula are grounded in the Western European conservatory model that consists of a required set of core courses in music theory, music history, aural skills, studio, ensemble, and piano. While there has been minimal change in the content of the core curriculum since the inception of Schools of Music, there has been an increasing dialogue about pedagogical issues with a focus on critical thinking, reflective practice, and engaged learning with students serving as change agents within the profession (e.g., Bowman, 2002; Woodford, 2005). Based on various philosophical writings about education, early writers within the growing field of psychology, such as John Dewey, began to examine issues of teaching and learning. From these early writings, there grew a divide between those who supported a traditional method based on behaviourism (e.g., Thorndike) and those who supported a progressive notion of education (e.g., Dewey). This divide still remains; however, some believe that both exist in various forms across a continuum that is more context-based. Typically speaking, a traditional method of education is one in which textbooks and faculty serve as the “owners” of knowledge, with the transmission or transaction of knowledge flowing from the faculty member to students. Students are assessed through paper-and-pencil testing, some of which includes standardized tests, and behaviours of teaching and learning are studied empirically. The belief is that behaviours can be modified and changed according to expectations outlined by those of authority. A progressive model of education, espoused since Dewey and still embraced today by leading educators and business people (e.g., Goodlad , 2004; Friedman, 2005), involves students being transformed through active engagement with content that requires flexibility, adaptability, curiosity , and imagination (e.g., Dewey, 1938; Eisner, 1998; Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000; Goodlad, 2004). Performances of understanding might involve pencil-and-paper tests, but also projects, performances, debates, interviews, speeches, and papers, to name a few. F o c u s i n g o n C r i t i c a l P r a c t i c e 16 7 Integral to critical thinking is the acceptance that (1) learners come to the classroom with much to offer and construct new understandings with minds that are curious and evaluative; (2) the focus is not just on the content, method, or theory, but on the student; and (3) both teacher and learner shift on a continuum between teaching and learning as reflective practitioners. This acceptance...