The book is divided into three parts, comprising four chapters each. These sections focus on musi... more The book is divided into three parts, comprising four chapters each. These sections focus on musical learning, musical skills and musical roles, respectively. Clearly, as the titles of the sections would suggest, there is some overlap between these areas; this is catered for by cross-chapter referencing that facilitates the location of related material in alternative sections of the book. Every chapter includes self-study activities and concludes with study questions and suggestions for further reading that could be used in a classroom context to ...
This paper, following on from our previous paper focusing on findings regarding students’ approac... more This paper, following on from our previous paper focusing on findings regarding students’ approaches to learning, explores students’ approaches to performance with particular focus on musical self-efficacy beliefs and experiences of performance anxiety in solo and group performances. The research design included a large questionnaire survey followed up by 13 case study interviews and six focus groups. Survey participants were 170 undergraduate musicians studying in three distinctively different higher education institutions, encompassing classical, popular, jazz and Scottish traditional music genres. Findings suggest that the context of music performance learning and the prevailing institutional culture relate to students’ approaches to performance. By statistically controlling for gender and genre biases across the three institutions, we were able to observe both similarities and differences between students’ self-reported self-efficacy beliefs, as well as experiences, perceived causes and strategies used to cope with performance anxiety. Implications of findings from the two ‘institutional culture and learning’ papers for learners and educators in higher education are discussed.
Research in higher education has established a relationship between student approaches to learnin... more Research in higher education has established a relationship between student approaches to learning and their perceptions of the learning environment. This study aims to make a contribution to music education literature by investigating undergraduate music students' perceptions of the learning context and their attitudes towards learning and performance. The research design included a large questionnaire survey followed up by 13 case study interviews and six focus groups. Survey participants were 170 undergraduate musicians ...
This paper reports on qualitative research undertaken at a conservatoire in the United Kingdom, e... more This paper reports on qualitative research undertaken at a conservatoire in the United Kingdom, exploring students' perceptions of how they were supported in realising their aspirations as professional musicians and making the transition to professional life. In particular, the research explored students' perceptions of the role played by their instrumental/vocal teachers in this process of professional development. Data were analysed using a conceptual framework of mentoring proposed by Renshaw. Mentoring, as a concept and practice, has rapidly gained currency in a wide range of professional contexts as a powerful tool underpinning innovation and talent development. Within music education, mentoring has begun to find a place, particularly in relation to talent development and professional integration. In the context of conservatoire training in Higher Education, there has also been some indication that one-to-one tuition may provide a fruitful mentoring environment. However, the term has been loosely used, and distinctions between mentoring, coaching, advising, counselling and instructing have not always been clear. Findings from this study indicated that in many cases the students felt the student–teacher relationship generated key characteristics of a mentoring environment. However, the teaching interactions they described tended towards modes of coaching, advising and instructing rather than mentoring. Instances that came closer to a mentoring approach were appreciated by the students. In addition, it was evident that the majority of students were having some difficulty in finding ways to connect their passion for music to real-world contexts and the development of a professional path. This issue underlined the potential importance of developing mentoring approaches further. It was also evident from the data that students' collaborative learning experiences played an important part in supporting students' professional development. These should be considered further in relation to supporting students' professional integration and could be conceptualised within a framework of peer co-mentoring.
Educational and psychological research suggests that gender and musical genre can influence music... more Educational and psychological research suggests that gender and musical genre can influence musical learning and the development of musical identities, particularly during adolescence. However, there is a relative paucity of educational studies in higher education (HE) concerning the possible impact on musical learning of gender and musical genre, either individually or collectively. As part of a two‐year comparative study funded under the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)’s Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) that is focused on musical learning in HE, we investigated the effect of musicians’ gender and chosen musical performance genre (embracing Western classical, jazz, popular, and Scottish traditional music) on undergraduate and postgraduate (career‐based) learning. Data were gathered through a web‐based survey of participants (n=244) drawn from four HE institutions (HEIs) in Glasgow, York, Leeds and London and the wider workplace, supplemented by semi‐structured case study interview data from a sub‐set (n=27) of these participants. Statistical and qualitative analyses indicate that gender and genre can impact individually on some aspects of participants’ psychological and socio‐psychological make‐up and in their attitudes to learning. However, there was no evidence statistically or qualitatively of any major interaction between the variables of genre and gender in the data from the chosen measures. Furthermore, irrespective of musical genre, skilled musicians had many aspects in common in terms of their core musical identities and behaviours, implying that the requirements for highly skilled musical performance can transcend particular group characteristics.
Between September 2008 and August 2010 24 KS2 classroom teachers were involved in a two-year prog... more Between September 2008 and August 2010 24 KS2 classroom teachers were involved in a two-year programme of continuing professional development (CPD), delivered by the LSO in partnership with Local Authority Music Services. The teachers indicated that they embarked on the CPD programme looking forward to opportunities to share good practice, gain new ideas for teaching singing and composition, gain knowledge of musical styles and concepts and enhance their confidence as music teachers. The scheme was found to be successful in fulfilling the teachers' aspirations and in equipping them with skills for integrating music into cross curricular activities, as well as for designing lesson plans in music that met the needs of their specific classrooms.
Abstract This paper considers the literature that may inform our understanding of parent–teacher–... more Abstract This paper considers the literature that may inform our understanding of parent–teacher–pupil interactions in instrumental music. It draws on research directly concerned with instrumental music learning and that from the wider psychological, sociological and educational literature concerned with conceptions of effective learning and teaching; conceptions of effective parenting; and dimensions of interpersonal relationships. Finally, a systemic, dynamic model is proposed which may serve to guide future research in the field.
The book is divided into three parts, comprising four chapters each. These sections focus on musi... more The book is divided into three parts, comprising four chapters each. These sections focus on musical learning, musical skills and musical roles, respectively. Clearly, as the titles of the sections would suggest, there is some overlap between these areas; this is catered for by cross-chapter referencing that facilitates the location of related material in alternative sections of the book. Every chapter includes self-study activities and concludes with study questions and suggestions for further reading that could be used in a classroom context to ...
This paper, following on from our previous paper focusing on findings regarding students’ approac... more This paper, following on from our previous paper focusing on findings regarding students’ approaches to learning, explores students’ approaches to performance with particular focus on musical self-efficacy beliefs and experiences of performance anxiety in solo and group performances. The research design included a large questionnaire survey followed up by 13 case study interviews and six focus groups. Survey participants were 170 undergraduate musicians studying in three distinctively different higher education institutions, encompassing classical, popular, jazz and Scottish traditional music genres. Findings suggest that the context of music performance learning and the prevailing institutional culture relate to students’ approaches to performance. By statistically controlling for gender and genre biases across the three institutions, we were able to observe both similarities and differences between students’ self-reported self-efficacy beliefs, as well as experiences, perceived causes and strategies used to cope with performance anxiety. Implications of findings from the two ‘institutional culture and learning’ papers for learners and educators in higher education are discussed.
Research in higher education has established a relationship between student approaches to learnin... more Research in higher education has established a relationship between student approaches to learning and their perceptions of the learning environment. This study aims to make a contribution to music education literature by investigating undergraduate music students' perceptions of the learning context and their attitudes towards learning and performance. The research design included a large questionnaire survey followed up by 13 case study interviews and six focus groups. Survey participants were 170 undergraduate musicians ...
This paper reports on qualitative research undertaken at a conservatoire in the United Kingdom, e... more This paper reports on qualitative research undertaken at a conservatoire in the United Kingdom, exploring students' perceptions of how they were supported in realising their aspirations as professional musicians and making the transition to professional life. In particular, the research explored students' perceptions of the role played by their instrumental/vocal teachers in this process of professional development. Data were analysed using a conceptual framework of mentoring proposed by Renshaw. Mentoring, as a concept and practice, has rapidly gained currency in a wide range of professional contexts as a powerful tool underpinning innovation and talent development. Within music education, mentoring has begun to find a place, particularly in relation to talent development and professional integration. In the context of conservatoire training in Higher Education, there has also been some indication that one-to-one tuition may provide a fruitful mentoring environment. However, the term has been loosely used, and distinctions between mentoring, coaching, advising, counselling and instructing have not always been clear. Findings from this study indicated that in many cases the students felt the student–teacher relationship generated key characteristics of a mentoring environment. However, the teaching interactions they described tended towards modes of coaching, advising and instructing rather than mentoring. Instances that came closer to a mentoring approach were appreciated by the students. In addition, it was evident that the majority of students were having some difficulty in finding ways to connect their passion for music to real-world contexts and the development of a professional path. This issue underlined the potential importance of developing mentoring approaches further. It was also evident from the data that students' collaborative learning experiences played an important part in supporting students' professional development. These should be considered further in relation to supporting students' professional integration and could be conceptualised within a framework of peer co-mentoring.
Educational and psychological research suggests that gender and musical genre can influence music... more Educational and psychological research suggests that gender and musical genre can influence musical learning and the development of musical identities, particularly during adolescence. However, there is a relative paucity of educational studies in higher education (HE) concerning the possible impact on musical learning of gender and musical genre, either individually or collectively. As part of a two‐year comparative study funded under the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)’s Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) that is focused on musical learning in HE, we investigated the effect of musicians’ gender and chosen musical performance genre (embracing Western classical, jazz, popular, and Scottish traditional music) on undergraduate and postgraduate (career‐based) learning. Data were gathered through a web‐based survey of participants (n=244) drawn from four HE institutions (HEIs) in Glasgow, York, Leeds and London and the wider workplace, supplemented by semi‐structured case study interview data from a sub‐set (n=27) of these participants. Statistical and qualitative analyses indicate that gender and genre can impact individually on some aspects of participants’ psychological and socio‐psychological make‐up and in their attitudes to learning. However, there was no evidence statistically or qualitatively of any major interaction between the variables of genre and gender in the data from the chosen measures. Furthermore, irrespective of musical genre, skilled musicians had many aspects in common in terms of their core musical identities and behaviours, implying that the requirements for highly skilled musical performance can transcend particular group characteristics.
Between September 2008 and August 2010 24 KS2 classroom teachers were involved in a two-year prog... more Between September 2008 and August 2010 24 KS2 classroom teachers were involved in a two-year programme of continuing professional development (CPD), delivered by the LSO in partnership with Local Authority Music Services. The teachers indicated that they embarked on the CPD programme looking forward to opportunities to share good practice, gain new ideas for teaching singing and composition, gain knowledge of musical styles and concepts and enhance their confidence as music teachers. The scheme was found to be successful in fulfilling the teachers' aspirations and in equipping them with skills for integrating music into cross curricular activities, as well as for designing lesson plans in music that met the needs of their specific classrooms.
Abstract This paper considers the literature that may inform our understanding of parent–teacher–... more Abstract This paper considers the literature that may inform our understanding of parent–teacher–pupil interactions in instrumental music. It draws on research directly concerned with instrumental music learning and that from the wider psychological, sociological and educational literature concerned with conceptions of effective learning and teaching; conceptions of effective parenting; and dimensions of interpersonal relationships. Finally, a systemic, dynamic model is proposed which may serve to guide future research in the field.
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Papers by Andrea Creech