Date of Award

5-8-2018

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.Ed.

Department

Education

Keywords

case study, middle school music teacher, and repertoire selection

Supervisor

Bayley, Jonathan

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

Repertoire selection plays a crucial role in beginners’ instrumental learning, and music teachers agree that it is a challenging task. However, there is no national music curriculum and the Ontario Arts Curriculum does not provide teachers with specific repertoire-selection guidelines. Research suggests that music educators have numerous suggestions and perspectives relating to repertoire selection, based on informed expert opinions. However, empirical evidence is needed to identify the strategies and determine the individual criteria for repertoire selection. Therefore, this case study investigated inservice teachers’ rationale, strategies, and procedure for selecting instrumental (band) repertoire. Eight music teachers with 6 to 29 years of teaching experience in grade five to eight were selected and interviewed. Their experiences and perspectives were explored to determine their rationale for repertoire choices and identify the challenges and strategies associated with this selection process. The present study found that teachers face numerous challenges with respect to defining the quality and difficulty level of music, and struggle to include multicultural music in their selections. To overcome these challenges and engage their students in the learning process, participants suggested a variety of strategies, such as involving professional networking and sharing, soliciting students’ input, and using multiple sources to procure music.

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