Teaching strategies for nurturing musicianship in general music classes: A case study

Education in Hong Kong is currently facing the great challenge of reformation in the new century. Music, being a school subject for more than four decades in Hong Kong, provides one of the aesthetic experiences to all pupils in primary and junior secondary schools, which has been recognized as one of the core elements in an all-round education system. However, there is a lack of research studies that investigate how musicianship should be nurtured in general music classes in Hong Kong. Teaching strategies in music classes were ignored yet practical and important for teacher preparation. This paper reports the findings of a case study in which a number of successful music teaching strategies in a primary school were revealed. Through a semi-structured interview with the music teacher of the school, participant observation of 24 music lessons in two weeks, and an analysis of the video recordings of the class teaching, this study aimed to identify the successful teaching strategies employed in the classroom. Findings include four identified strategies that employed by the music teacher: 1) performing with aural training, 2) sound before notation, 3) repeats with slight variations, and 4) positive reinforcement. Copyright © 2003 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.