Music education in secondary school: didactic contributions to quality education

Abstract

The focus of this study lies in the need to debate theoretical and practical perspectives on the teaching, learning and assessment of music, specifically within the scope of the basic education curriculum, which can enhance and provide more effective responses to what is currently sought for quality education for all (UNESCO, 2015). In the context of the Music subject, there is a tendency to value forms of knowledge based on performative reproduction of music. That is, of products or responses resulting mainly from what the teacher taught and not so much from processes and results of what the student was able to learn based on the possibilities generated and focused on discovery, action and creativity. Thus, this project assumes a didactic thinking and acting, by a teacher-researcher (author of the project), directed to the development of creative-musical thinking in the subject of Music in Secondary School*. The principle “sound before symbol”/”sound before sign” (McPherson & Gabrielsson, 2002; Mills & McPherson, 2006), processes based on problem solving and the acquisition of specific music and transversal skills (collaborative work, communication, self/hetero evaluation) will be highlighted. This way, the didactic action of the teacher-researcher assumes a coherence between the triple teaching & learning & assessment, as advocated by several authors (e.g. Fernandes, 2009; Fautley, 2010). This presentation reports on the results obtained in the exploratory study even though it generically addresses the objectives and methods of all study.