Browsing by Author "Tyyskä, Ville"

Objectives. The objective of this pro gradu thesis is to survey what primary school music teachers think about songcrafting. I use the term songcrafting to reflect activities where a teacher is guiding or teaching composition or using it as an educational tool. In songcrafting the teacher is the leader but pupils are the composers. It has been stated that composition is a useful activity to include in music education. Also the Finnish curriculum demands to offer opportunities for composing. However, composing is found by many teachers challenging to implement. In this study I strive to find out what are the things that primary school music teachers consider important for the success in songcrafting. This study aims at collecting information about things that should be focused on in songcrafting and in teacher training to make songcrafting easier to implement. Methods. I collected the material of this study by interviewing four class teachers who are specialized in music education. The interviews were semi-structured thematic interviews. I analyzed the material by using qualitative content analysis. Results and conclusions. According to the interviewees' perceptions, teachers’ skills are the key to success in songcrafting. In particular, subject matter knowledge appeared to be important. Interviewees suggested that learning material could be a way to compensate for incomplete subject matter knowledge. Additionally, in-service teacher training was seen as a good way to develop teachers’ skills. Songcrafting was described as containing planning, evaluation, pupil participation and support of pupils. Teacher skills were described as being linked to all of these. According to previous research and this thesis, one should consider how teachers’ skills could be supported and developed in the best possible way. Providing quality learning material and in-service teacher training might be the solution. Therefore those should be explored and developed further, in order to make songcrafting possible for a growing number of teachers.