Evolving Music Education in the Digital Age: Sound-Based Music in Public Schools of Cyprus
Years now, sound-based music has been struggling to reach a wider public. Research supports that in order to promote sound-based music, it should be introduced at an early age in someone’s life to have the opportunity to familiarise himself/herself with it and accept it (Kopiez and Lehmann, 2008). This thesis investigates the implementation of sound-based music in public schools in Cyprus. Building on previous research aiming to introduce sound-based music ideas and concepts into the music classrooms (Savage, 2005; Higgins and Jennings, 2006; Wolf, 2008; Holland, 2011), this research aims at creating a sound-based music curriculum that will be appropriate for the implementation in such a teaching-learning environment in Cyprus. The research focuses on the Educational Reform Programme of Cyprus (2008-2015), which aims at modernising the Cypriot education system. This project offers the opportunity to investigate a set of sound-based music lesson plans, implemented in music classrooms. The research examines the reactions of teachers and students towards these lessons, and the evaluation of the lesson plans in order to be suitable for primary and secondary schools of Cyprus. It is an interdisciplinary project, allowing for educational as well as musical concepts to inform its content and structure. The research follows a grounded theory methodology, utilising a mixed-methods approach involving multi-site case studies and action research. In total of six schools, with six teachers and 117 students, eight different sound-based music lesson plans were created, implemented and evaluated, in a total of 18 lesson periods. During these lessons, a combination of questionnaires, interviews, observations, visual data and tests have facilitated the collection of both qualitative and quantitative information relating to the teachers, the students and the lesson plans. Findings of this research identify that the specific set of lesson plans implemented in the schools is considered as appropriate to be used in the music classrooms of Cyprus. The sound-based music lessons introduced new ways of using ICT in the music classroom, supporting the national initiatives of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus. It was also identified that these lessons offer an inclusive education, with creative activities, engaging students with the learning experience. However, the outcomes of the research recognised the need to understand the multidimensional change necessary to take place before such an implementation, such as the need to resolve any teachers’ concerns relating to the implementation of innovative material as well as any issues related to the equipment.
Sound-based music, music education, inclusive education, music technologies, innovative music in school
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