Developing Music Pedagogical Practice

This course offers an in-depth exploration of the field of music pedagogy, enabling participants to develop their own pedagogical practices. It is grounded in a diversity of music pedagogical approaches and invites participants to investigate their individual perspectives and collective experiences through engaging with both dominant and more marginalised music education concepts and ideas, locally and globally. Critical thinking, exploration, and equity are central concepts in the course, fostering insight into personal and collective experiences and supporting the development of an individual music education toolkit.

This includes approaches that are norm-challenging, tradition-oriented, historically grounded, and culturally specific in how music is learned, taught, used, and explored. The course explores ways of understanding and creating with sound and music, drawing on majority, minority, and Indigenous practices, with technology integrated as a natural component. Participants gain insight into the philosophical directions and practices that have shaped music education both locally and globally, and are encouraged to deepen and develop their own practices for a meaningful future in music education.

Knowledge

Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to:

• Have advanced knowledge of how philosophical, artistic, and music education practices and theories shape experiences and ways of thinking
• Understand dynamics of dominance and marginalization in music education as a disciplinary, research, and professional field
• Know strategies for continuous development of music education practices and thinking
• Have in-depth knowledge of diverse music teaching practices and their contexts

Skills

Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to:

• Independently develop music education concepts and ideas based on personal and collective resources
• Analyze and critically discuss research and practice in music didactics
• Critically evaluate and adapt own music education practice
• Reflect independently on ideas about music teaching and learning
• Apply music education concepts with emphasis on equity, exploration, and critical thinking

General Competence

Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to:

• Assess relationships between philosophical and practical concepts in music education
• Demonstrate insight into the development of music as a school subject and apply this critically
• Understand how music education experiences are shaped collectively and develop continuously
• Relate music education practices to other school subjects

The learning activities in the course are both practical and theoretical, and include music-making, performance of sound/music/dance, as well as critical thinking, reading, and writing. Course activities consist of workshops, lectures, individual and group assignments, and a live production/performance.

We strive to create a learning environment adapted to the needs of all our students, while recognising that there may be situations where students with disabilities or special needs require specific, individual accommodations (Universities and University Colleges Act § 10-5). We encourage you to contact the course coordinator to discuss how we can meet your learning needs, and if necessary, contact the program’s student advisor (email: studier@ilu.ntnu.no) to apply for individual arrangements for studies and examinations.