Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemTertiary music education and musicians' careers( 2018)Australian tertiary institutions offer many courses for musicians intent on working in the music industry. There has been, however, limited research into how these courses from different providers contribute to musicians’ careers. The rationale for conducting this research was to provide insights to educators on how they might design courses to meet better the needs of musicians preparing to work in the music industry. A review of the literature highlighted the concerns of educators and academics about the balance in curriculum emphasis between musical expertise and industry practice. This study examined the merits of different pedagogical paradigms through the experiences of graduates from different tertiary music offerings. Using a mixed methods approach and a descriptive, interpretive research design, this study explored the experience of tertiary music graduates and how their learning contributed to establishing their music careers. Data were analysed around three themes, (1) the characteristics of music portfolio careers, (2) tertiary music education experiences and graduate outcomes, and (3) the ongoing professional development needs of musicians for sustaining a music career. The findings demonstrate the formidable challenges of working in a music portfolio career including the self- management of a career in a precarious employment market. Such careers required a mix of work realms such as music practice, teaching and entrepreneurial activities to generate new work. Consequently, career trajectories were found to be necessarily circuitous and “messy” but there is evidence that tertiary music education is a significant intervention in the continuum of learning for a musician’s career. It is argued that there are five broad categories of proficiencies that are required first to establish and then sustain a music career. The pedagogies and course emphases from different tertiary music providers in the Australian state of Victoria contributed in different ways towards musicians’ careers. Furthermore, there were some shortcomings in requisite proficiencies which suggest the potential for further curricular development. This potential lay in both undergraduate courses to better prepare musicians for starting out in their careers, and post-graduate courses to provide further development for the sustainability of musicians’ careers.
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ItemNational policy for research and research training: the case of the Philippines( 2009)Over the past two decades, considerable investigation has been undertaken into the research training of higher degree research students in many parts of the world. However, in developing nations the exploration has been far more limited, particularly concerning the kinds of issues and challenges their higher education systems face. This makes the Philippines an important case, where it is a national priority to develop university research and improve research training practices. This study examined research training in the Philippines from a policy perspective. The study sheds light on the nature of research training of developing nations by (1) describing the context in which it is situated, (2) identifying and examining the issues, challenges that confront government and universities, (3) evaluating the implications of these issues and challenges, and (4) providing recommendations to improve university research and research training in the country. The study’s findings confirm that public and private higher education institutions in the Philippines are largely engaged in teaching while research is a less intense university activity. The current context of university research and research training indicates that the structure of graduate education and training needs improvement in policy and practice domains. The government and universities need to develop new policies and improve practices regarding both staff research training and professional development, and student research education and training. A range of issues and challenges confronting the government and universities have been identified by this study concerning funding, infrastructure, academic staff development, research supervision, student support, quality assurance in research, collaboration and partnerships, research ethics, intellectual property, and research priorities. The most important challenges for government and universities relate to effectively meeting the dual demands of teaching and research, building a critical mass of researchers, and developing excellent research skills and competences among staff and students. The findings from this study have also informed the creation of a timeline that depicts key points in the candidature of masters and doctorate students, particularly identifying coursework, research, and supervision phases, and has identified contributors to the development of student and staff research skills. Together, these provide a basis for considering current and potential research training initiatives. Overall, the study provides a new and comprehensive analysis of the policy issues in research and research training and offering suggestions for advancing policy and practice.