Faculty of Education - Theses

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Start date: 1960 × End date: 1979 × Subject: Victoria × Subject: Training of × Author: Boadle, Brian H. ×

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    Music teaching in Victorian state primary schools in relation to teacher training
    Boadle, Brian H. ( 1977)
    For many years now there has been considerable discussion on the inadvisability of expecting the primary school classroom teacher to shoulder the responsibility for the music education of the children in his charge. The early history of state education in Victoria shows that this task was originally considered to lie in the specialist's domain, and it was only an economic expedient of the 1890's that caused it to become the responsibility of the classroom teacher. The consequences of this move are revealed in the general lack of music education in our primary schools today. Research shows that the average teacher trainee does not possess the basic skills and abilities necessary for teacher-education courses to equip him to teach music in the classroom effectively. Courses of study in music also tend to be highly specialised and make the assumption that primary teachers have the competence to make them operable. Because most classroom teachers do not have this competence, and cannot reasonably be expected to acquire it, the courses are not taught, and what music experiences are provided are spasmodic and often of doubtful value. Nevertheless, classroom teachers do see that music has a value in primary education and show a desire to be involved in its instruction. They do not, however, want to have to shoulder the full responsibility, and see a need for guidance in the form of specialist assistance and a course of study which recognises their limited abilities. In searching for a solution, it seems that no good purpose will be served in pursuing the old generalist/specialist argument, for the problem appears not to be parochial in nature, but rather to extend over the whole gamut of primary education. As a consequence the commonly accepted notion of the classroom teacher as an intellectual factotum having to teach all subjects to all his pupils needs serious questioning. What is required is a resolution which decreases the number of subject areas for which the primary teacher is expected to assume responsibility, while at the same time permitting him to develop and make use of a high degree of expertise in one special field.