Approaches to the Opening of Music Class Teaching as Perceived by Teachers and Students: A Case Study Based on Qualitative Interviews

Abstract

This article uses a case example to illustrate how the attempt to “open” music class teaching is perceived by those involved. The topic is examined in qualitative interviews with teachers and pupils as part of a research project focusing on the adaptiveness of learning situations in the subject of music. In what was a more “closed” music education class, a new instrumental teacher starts off by letting the pupils participate, both by allowing them to select the different instrumentals, at various degrees of difficulty, and by helping to arrange the song. This article takes a closer look at the key topic of “play spaces”, and the subject-specific special aspects that are made clear by the commentaries of the participants on the topics of “playing and talking” and “pupil and teacher decisions”. Two things in particular crystallize as being significant, both of which are manifestly connected to the uniqueness of music class teaching: (1) Although, seen objectively, the case we studied only had a very small degree of “opening”, it is perceived as being extensive by all participants. (2) Although the reaction of the pupils to the opening process is heterogeneous in the beginning, and not only positive, this changed when reviewed later, after the pupils had practiced and played for several weeks: Pupils then saw the “new” instrument teacher’s attempt to open the class as being extremely positive. The statements made by teachers make it clear that the teacher’s role changes greatly throughout the opening process. In addition to the teaching research with qualitative interviews documented in this article, the theoretical scientific implications of this type of research are also reflected upon.