Narratives of teaching and learning music in the Grade 7 classroom

Abstract

The purpose of this narrative research study was to explore how educators and learners experience the teaching and learning of music in the Grade 7 classroom. By exploring these experiences, this study can contribute to a better understanding of how educators and learners experience the teaching and learning of music. By exploring these experiences, this study can contribute to a better understanding of how educators and learners experience the teaching and learning of music. School principals, school managements, music educators, the Department of Basic Education and policy makers will be able to facilitate the formulation of a more relevant curriculum. The method of inquiry was a qualitative, narrative study with unstructured interviews to better understand the experiences of educators and learners in teaching and learning music in the Grade 7 classroom. Sampling comprised seven purposefully chosen primary school music educators and seven Grade 7 learners who participate in compulsory music education in private primary schools in Gauteng. Six themes emerged from the data analysis of the interviews with the educators, namely educator philosophy, teaching approach, teaching activities, expected outcomes, Grade 7 learners as experienced by educators and relationship dynamics. For the Grade 7 learners five themes emerged. These were: active participation, class activities, cooperative learning, peer pressure and gender and wellbeing. The implications of this study is that music for Grade 7 needs to be revised in order for learners to optimise the learning process. Suggestions for further research include the exploration of the relationship between wellbeing and music classes for pre-adolescents1. Another avenue that can be explored is the effect of cooperative learning in the music class on the wellbeing of Grade 7 learners.