Student-centered pedagogies in the Singapore music classroom: A case study on collaborative composition

This article responds to recent calls for situated examples of student-centered education. Our goal is to illustrate what student-centered pedagogies may look like in the music education classroom, particularly in the context of collaborative composition activities. The sample case presented features a Primary 5 Singaporean music teacher implementing a collaborative composition lesson on Gamelan Beleganjur, a traditional music style from Bali (Indonesia). After describing the structure of the lesson, we analyze data from teacher interviews, classroom interactions (illustrated with pictures), and transcriptions of students' compositions. We argue that the content and design of the lesson itself, as well as the teacher's genuine interest in exploring students' musical ideas and fostering collaboration and creativity, led to the enactment of student-centricity. Our ultimate aim is to provide an additional resource that might inspire music educators (both specialists and generalists) in embracing student-centered education in their classrooms. Copyright © 2018 Edith Cowan University.