Talking about transition : an exploration of the secondary to tertiary process for music students in a New Zealand context : a thesis submitted to Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music in Musicology, Te Kōkī, New Zealand School of Music
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Date
2015
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Massey University
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Abstract
There are complex challenges facing music students majoring in performance in New
Zealand as they transition from secondary to tertiary study. As a result of their pretertiary
experiences, these students form identities and develop subjectivities that are
often discordant with notions of a broadly conceived degree-level education. Through
exploring transition using ethnographic and interpretive approaches, it is clear that
significant numbers of performance students are not engaging with the more
theoretical aspects of their music degrees and can in fact be actively resistant to
acquiring knowledge in areas of the curriculum that they perceive as falling outside
those necessary to become a performer. This research suggests that education systems
in secondary schools in New Zealand contribute considerably to these student
subjectivities as despite individual levels of knowledge that students bring to their
tertiary studies, these systems result in significant homogenous subjectivities and
approaches. More generally, secondary schools appear unable to consistently prepare
music students for their tertiary music studies for reasons that include curricula that is:
widely interpreted, compartmentalised, heavily weighted towards assessments, and, in
terms of performance assessments, lacking in validity.
In ‘talking about transition’ within a New Zealand context, questions arise concerning
pre-determined educational practices, which present unnecessary and prohibitive
hurdles that can serve to culturally alienate our own students. For this reason and
others, this research suggests these students will benefit from socio-culturally relevant
pedagogical practice in addition to systems that provide accessible, manageable, and
meaningful connections between secondary and tertiary levels of knowledge.
Research findings also suggest that improved communication between education
sectors and between institutions and students is key to empowering students with
regard to their own learning.
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Keywords
School music, Music, Instruction and study, Education, Higher, Tertiary education, New Zealand, Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Social sciences::Education::Music education