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Rachel Hocking
[This article was published in Music Forum Vol 14 No 4, 2008. Course handbooks, as published by Australian universities, were surveyed to find the amount of music contained within teaching courses for secondary, primary and early childhood teachers. The units assigned to the music courses were then compared with the total units for each degree, giving a percentage of value placed on music training for teachers. On the whole, the amount of music taught and value placed on music training by universities is currently underwhelming.]
In the last issue of Music Forum, we found that music instruction in university courses for generalist primary teachers currently is inadequate and undervalued. This affects graduate teachers' confidence and skills in implementing quality music programs within schools. Early childhood teaching graduates also face a similar problem.
The MCA carried out a survey of early childhood teacher music training in universities, parallel to the survey of generalist primary teacher training published in the previous Music Forum. Once again, university handbooks were surveyed to find out the degrees and subjects in which music was taught to early childhood teaching undergraduates and postgraduates.[1] Thirty–one degrees were found to be related to early childhood training, with some universities offering two degree options for students.
Prior to primary school, children will attend approximately three years of education in infants schools, and a majority of children these days also attend at least one year of preschool. So this adds up to a possible four years of formal education prior to primary school education. This stage in a child's development, also referred to as "early childhood", covers birth to eight years in age. Care for children prior to school attendance comes in varied forms including "long day care" and "preschool" (also known as "kindergarten" in some states). Carers at these institutions vary in experience and training. However, at most institutions there is at least one university-trained teacher, often with a degree in early childhood.
Unfortunately the National Review of School Music Education did not cover music education for the birth-to-five age group and yet this is a vital and formative age in a child's education. In reference to early childhood music education, Nita Temmerman has stated: "Music is seen as contributing to the total development of the child, including intellectual, emotional, physical, social and aesthetic. It is a natural part of children's lives and activities. Children enjoy singing, moving, dancing, playing instruments, and creating their own musical sounds." Temmerman also cited Doreen Bridges (1994): "Young children's engagement with musical activities lays the foundations for learning".[2]
Gruhn,Galley and Kluth found "all musically experienced children had a highly significant advantage in mental age" in three to seven year olds.[3] Ilara and Polka found that eight-month-old infants can process and memorise complex pieces such as works by Ravel.[4] So there is evidence to suggest not only the importance of music in early childhood, but also the importance of the quality and content of music education.
So if music education in early childhood is so important, what music skills are our youngsters given by university-trained teachers? Peter De Vries has stated about early childhood music education that "there is little guidance for staff in terms of state or national standards..."[5] Therefore, early childhood teachers are then going to rely even more on their training, and yet the evidence given within this article shows the little value generally placed on music in university degrees. While these figures once again don't demonstrate the actual content taught, the abilities of graduates of these courses can be traced to the small amount of music education they receive.[6] De Vries has also pointed out that "it is widely acknowledged that early childhood teachers do not feel confident about teaching music, believing they lack requisite musical knowledge and skills."[7].
As Table 1 demonstrates, music is currently taught by universities to early childhood educators in an arts-focused subject, often as a music and movement blend. Of the 31 degrees surveyed, there were 11 degree programs (roughly one-third) that taught arts over two semesters. The remainder kept arts training to one semester. In three programs, music as a distinct discipline was not referred to at all, and one of these programs didn't teach arts as a mandatory subject at all. In approximately one-half (14 out of 31) of the early childhood degree programs, music as a discrete discipline counted for less than 1% in value. Anecdotally, music is also included in other subjects for early childhood training (including TAFE programs) in a practical way as a method of delivering information to children and assisting with play.[8]
Table 1: Possible value of mandatory music in Early Childhood university degrees
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University
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Mandatory Music Subject Value (Units), Hours Studied
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Total Degree Length, Total Degree Value (Units)
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Mandatory Arts Subject as a Percentage of the Degree
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Total Mandatory Music as a Percentage of the Degree
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Griffith University
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No mandatory music subjects
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1 year part time (40 units)
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0.000%
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0.000%
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University of the Sunshine Coast
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No music specified
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4 years fulltime (32 subjects)
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0.000%
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0.000%
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University of Tasmania
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No music specified
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3 years fulltime (14 units plus a diploma in childcare)
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0.000%
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0.000%
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Australian Catholic University
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EDAR308 Creative Arts Education 1 (10 units)
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4 years full-time (320 units)
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3.125% where music is one-fifth of the subject
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0.625%
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Charles Sturt University
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EMA101 Arts 1 (8 units); EMA301 Creative Arts in the Primary School (8 units)
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4 years full-time (256 units)
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6.250%
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0.625% (EMA 301)
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Australian Catholic University
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EDAR308 Creative Arts Education 1 (10 units)
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3 years full-time (240 units)
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4.167% where music is one-fifth of the subject
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0.833%
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Central Queensland University
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EDCU11021 The Arts (6 units)
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4 years full-time (192 units)
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3.125% where music is one-fifth of the subject
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0.625%
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Curtin University of Technology
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ED336 - the Arts Learning Area (25 units). 2 hours/week for 1 semester.
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4 years full-time (800 units)
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3.125% where music is one-fifth of the subject
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0.625%
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James Cook University
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ED3094: Arts Education for Early Childhood (3 units). 13 hours total.
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4 years (96 units)
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3.125% where music is one-fifth of the subject
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0.625%
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Queensland University of Technology
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EAB012 Arts Curriculum 2 (12 units).
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4 years fulltime (384 units)
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3.125% where music is one-fifth of the subject
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0.625%
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University of Western Sydney
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101103.1 Fostering Creativity in Children's Learning (10 units)
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4.5 years fulltime (120 units for Masters plus 240 units for Bachelor)
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2.778% where music is one-quarter of the subject
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0.694%
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University of Wollongong
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EDKA202 - Creative Arts Education (6 units).
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4 years fulltime (192 units)
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3.125% where music is one-quarter of the subject
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0.781%
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Queensland University of Technology
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EAB012 Arts Curriculum 2 (12 units).
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3 years fulltime (288 units)
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4.167% where music is one-fifth of the subject
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0.833%
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Bond University
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CHLD12-104 Early Childhood Curriculum (10 units). 3 hours total of music (equivalent to 1 lecture).
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2 years full-time (160 units)
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6.25% where music is one-seventh of the subject
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0.893%
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University of Ballarat
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TW653 Individual Expression: Art Movement and Music (15 units)
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3 years part time (360 units)
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4.167% where music is one-third of the subject
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1.389%
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Southern Cross University
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EDU00415 Creative Arts Education I: Foundations (12 units). EDU00416 Creative Arts Education II: Curriculum and Pedagogy (12 units).
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4 years fulltime (384 units)
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6.250% where music is one-fourth of the subjects
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1.562%
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University of Newcastle - Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Early Childhood
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AART1020 Foundations in Creative Arts for Early Childhood (10 units). EDUC3148 Creative Arts for Early Childhood Education (10 units).
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4 years fulltime (320 units)
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6.250% where music is one-third of the subjects
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2.083%
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University of Newcastle - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
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EDST1500 Music, Art and Humanity (10 units). 2 hours per week for 1 semester. EDST2410 Learning through Creative Arts 0-5 (10 units). 1.5 hours per week for 1 semester.
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4 years fulltime (320 units)
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6.250% where music is one-third of the subjects
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2.083%
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Victoria University
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AEB1262 Music, movement and dramatic arts (12 units).
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4 years fulltime (192 units)
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6.250% where music is one-third of the subject
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2.083%
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Deakin University
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ECE308 - Young Childrens' Music and Movement (1 unit).
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2 years full-time (20 units)
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5.000% where music is one-half of the subject
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2.500%
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University of Newcastle - Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching
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EDST1500 Music, Art and Humanity (10 units). 2 hours per week for 1 semester. EDST2410 Learning through Creative Arts 0-5 (10 units). 1.5 hours per week for 1 semester.
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3 years fulltime (240 units)
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8.333% where music is one-third of the subjects
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2.777%
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University of Canberra
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6576 Arts Education 1 (3 units). Four hours/week for 1 semester. 6890 Arts Education 2 (3 units). Four hours/week for 1 semester.
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4 years fulltime (96 units)
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6.250% where music is one-half of the subjects
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3.125%
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University of Southern Queensland
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ECE2018 Early Childhood Music and Drama Education (1 unit). ECE2003 Early Childhood Arts Education (1 unit).
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4 years fulltime (32 units)
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6.250% where music is three-quarters of the subjects
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4.69%
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Monash University
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EDF1513 Early Childhood Music (6 units). 2 hrs/week 1 semester. EDF3201 Primary Art and Music (6 units). 3 hrs/week 1 semester; EDF 3504 Early Childhood Expressive Arts (6 units). 2 hrs/week 1 semester
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4 years fulltime (192 units)
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9.375% where music is two-thirds of the subjects
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6.250%
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University of Southern Queensland
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ECE2018 Early Childhood Music and Drama Education (1 unit). ECE2003 Early Childhood Arts Education (1 unit`).
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3 years fulltime (24 units)
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8.333% where music is three-quarters of the subjects
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6.250%
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RMIT
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TCHE2184 Integrating the Arts (12 units)
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1 year fulltime (96 units)
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12.5% where music is one-half of the subject
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6.250%
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Edith Cowan University
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MUE2110 Arts Literacy through Music Education (15 units). 3 hours/week for 1 semester.
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4 years fulltime (480 units)
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3.125%
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Data not available
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Murdoch University
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Learning Through the Arts (2nd year)
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Data not available
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Data not available
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Data not available
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|
University of Notre Dame Australia
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KLA Creative Arts - Music Dance and Drama in Year 3; Music in Early Childhood in Year 4.
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4 years fulltime
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Data not available
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Data not available
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University of SA
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EDUC2023: Arts in Early Childhood (4.5 units). EDUC1067 The Arts-Rich Early Childhood Curriculum (4.5 units).
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4 years (144 units)
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6.250%
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Data not available
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The problem in attempting to determine what is an acceptable level of music education for the birth-to-eight age group in a formal setting is that there are no standardised curriculums in childcare facilities until a child begins school (around age five to six). Therefore there is a lack of standardisation in the training of early childhood teachers. This can be seen in Table 2; early childhood qualifications differ in accreditation for teaching and in the childrens' age groups studied. For example, in one degree, a graduate may qualify only to teach in childcare facilities such as preschools, to the age of five years, while in another degree, a graduate may be able to teach in both infants schools and preschools, up to the age of eight.
Table 2: Varying options of Early Childhood degrees
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Universities Offering Early Childhood Training
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Institutions Graduates are Qualified to Teach in
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Children's Age Ranges Covered in Training
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Australian Catholic University - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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Data not available
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Australian Catholic University - Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood)
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Data not available
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Data not available
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Bond University - Bachelor of Children's Services
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Childcare facilities only
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0-6
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Central Queensland University - Bachelor of Learning Management (Early Childhood)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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Data not available
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Charles Sturt University - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-12
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Curtin University of Technology - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
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Childcare facilities only
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0-8
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Deakin University - Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (prerequisite TAFE diploma in this area)
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Childcare facilities only
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Data not available.
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Edith Cowan University - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Studies)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-8
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Griffith University - Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood (Postgraduate course)
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Data not available
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0-8
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James Cook University - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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Data not available
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Monash University - Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-8
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Murdoch University - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood/Primary)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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4-12
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Queensland University of Technology - Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies
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Childcare facilities only
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0-6
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Queensland University of Technology - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-8
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RMIT - Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Teaching (postgraduate diploma)
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Childcare facilities only
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0-8
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Southern Cross University - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-8
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University of Ballarat - Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education)
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Childcare facilities only
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0-6
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University of Canberra - Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Teaching (3-8 Years); Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Teaching (CIT)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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3-8
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University of Newcastle - Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching
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Childcare facilities only
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0-5
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University of Newcastle - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-8
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University of Newcastle - Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Early Childhood
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-8
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University of Notre Dame Australia - Bachelor of Education (Birth to Twelve Years)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-12
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University of SA - Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
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Childcare facilities only
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0-8
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University of Southern Queensland - Bachelor of Early Childhood
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Childcare facilities only
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0-5
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University of Southern Queensland - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-8
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University of the Sunshine Coast - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)/Bachelor of Human Services
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-8
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University of Western Sydney - Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies (Child and Family) with Masters of Teaching (Early Childhood)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-8
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University of Wollongong - Bachelor of Education: The Early Years (0-5)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-8
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Unviersity of Tasmania - Bachelor of Education and Care (Early Years)
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Childcare facilities only
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0-4
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Victoria University - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood/Primary)
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Childcare facilities and schools
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0-8
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Childrens' attendance at preschool is optional and not fulltime, so there are many other areas in their early lives that can influence and direct their education. Parents choose to send their children to childcare facilities and have some control, via voting with their well-earned dollar, as to the programs their children can attend. It is in these childcare facilities that there is no standardised curriculum. However, it is compulsory for children to go to school once they are around the age of five. In most states, attendance at school in the first year is fulltime, and most parents have to go with the public school that is local to them. Here, education programs are limited to a combination of the teacher's training and knowledge, and the curriculum provided by each state. Of the 14 early childhood degrees that had music as less than 1% of total program value, eight of these qualified graduates to teach in government schools.
The National Review of Music Education only covered music education in school settings (that is Kindergarten to Year 12), but one of their action points was that universities should ensure that there enough time to teach music education within a teacher-training program.[9] The guidelines for student music education K-3, as given by the same report and shown in Table 3, imply musical activities that could not be easily covered in a "one-hour-per-week-for-one-semester" arts lecture, yet this is the equivalent of less than 1% found in the MCA survey. These guidelines are based on a collection of concepts from state syllabi, and many of the concepts interact with each other. Simplistically: there are nineteen areas marked "focus for learning" for K-3 in the National Review guidelines[10], which is more than one concept per week when training a teacher within a semester; some of these areas assume pre-requisite musical knowledge on the teacher's part; for example "Developing an understanding of and using the musical elements in age and developmentally appropriate ways"[11] requires a teacher to have musical skills that can distinguish "elements" in music and then ability to apply these differently to both a five year old and an eight year old, respectively.
Once again, the evidence is that the music instruction for teachers is inadequate, but in early childhood training, it is further complicated by the lack of standardisation in degree programs and curriculum.
Table 3: Section from Table 11: Guidelines for Student Learning in Early Childhood K-3 from "The National Review of School Music Education"[12]
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Focus for learning
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Exploring the emerging musical ideas based on personal experiences, stories, play, feelings, themes, pictures and other stimuli in their immediate world
Developing an understanding of and using the musical elements in age and developmentally appropriate ways
Listening to music identifying ideas and feelings
Exploring, experimenting with and arranging sounds to reflect a variety of musical contexts
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Developing and using music skills and processes through play experiences and structured activities
Using available sound sources such as found sounds, voice, body, melodic and non-melodic percussion in age and developmentally appropriate ways
Using invented and graphic notation as an introduction to recording musical ideas
Using simple preparation/rehearsal and performance knowledge, skills and processes with a focus on collaboration
Using traditional and emerging technologies to make and listen to music
Participating in group and individual music making and exploration
Using age and developmentally appropriate audience conventions
Using safe music practices
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Listening actively and acknowledging audience behaviours
Making immediate responses to music experiences
Describing music features and making responses using appropriate terminology
Reflecting on choices made in making own music and interpreting the music of others
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Exploring music in their immediate world
Exploring family and community traditions and customs of music including celebrations and rituals
Exploring people, places and time through music
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Rachel Hocking is Assistant to the Executive Director and now the National Instrument Bank Manager for the Music Council of Australia. She also lectures in music at UNSW, runs her own music studio, and is involved in community music. She received her PhD in musicology in 2007. Rachel has taught early childhood music and was trained by Doreen Bridges in this area.
[1]Some universities only teach early childhood degrees as a postgraduate option.
[2]Temmerman, Nita. An investigation of the music activity preferences of pre-school children. British Journal of Music Education. 2000, Vol 17 No 1, 52.
[3]Gruhn, Wilfried. Galley, Niels, and Kluth, Christine. Do Mental Speed and Musical Abilities Interact? The Neurosciences and Music. Nov 2003, Vol 999, 485.
[4]Ilari, Beatriz and Polka, Linda. Music cognition in early infancy: infants' preferences and long term memory for Ravel. International Journal of Music Education. Vol 24, Iss 1, 2006, 19.
[5] De Vries, Peter. What about early childhood music education? Online letter. Music. Play For Life website.
[6] For explanation of how information was gathered, what the percentages in the tables refer to, limitations and assumptions, see previous article: Hocking, Rachel. Music instruction in preservice training of classroom teachers. Music Forum. Vol 14, No 3, 43.
[7] De Vries, Peter. Being There: creating music-making opportunities in a childcare centre. Music Forum Vol 14 No 1, 35. Emphasis added.
[8] In discussion with Keren Gould, early childhood educator at TAFE.
[9] Augmenting the Diminished: National Review of School Music Education (NRSME) 2005. xvi.
[10]NRSME.,Table 11, 85.
[11]NRSME.,Table 11, 85.
[12]NRSME.,Table 11, 85. |
