Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Perú
Abstract
Mind, Brain and Education (MBE) is a field that relates biology, cognitive sciences and
education with the purpose of informing educational practice from a scientific groundwork.
The aim of this study was to use MBE's findings to assess music lessons in an IB school in
Lima, Peru. A list of best practices for music education was systematized from varios authors,
and turned into an assessment checklist covering three of music learning: feeling, doing and
integrating.
Teachers were informed about the main ideas of the study but not trained specifically to learn
the best practices listed in the observation form or to apply these in their lessons. They
mentioned that they actually used intuitively most of these general ideas in their daily work.
The observation form was applied in 22 music lessons with students ranging ages 5 to 18 and
covering different kinds of instrumental and general music lessons lead by 10 music teachers.
The findings showed an overall high incidence of the practices listed. All lessons (100%)
showed a variety of best practices. The most common in all ages and kinds of lessons were
those in the dimension of doing (55%), especially "the students produce something in class"
(100%). The practices for integrating had the least percentage of incidence (43%). Only one
In the process of systematizing the best practices, a model for music learning was devised,
which helped both structuring the instrument and interpreting the results. In this particular
case, the results indicate that the music teachers in this school emphasize the dimension of
doing over the dimensions of feeling and integrating; explaining both the good results the
students have in musical performance and the issues they have with other musical skills as
reading, composing and analyzing. At the same time, the model helps to inform teachers
This study shows a simple and precise theoretical and practical framework that showed to
work to assess a variety of music lessons through the neuroeducational lens. Instead of
assessing through the outcomes (school concerts or examinations), this assessment framework
is centered in the students' experience and focuses on the process of learning, and at the same
Keywords
Music teaching assessment, neuroeducation, general education, music learning cycle, musical
brain.
Introduction
The purpose of this study was to assess music lessons in an international school in Peru
through the lens of the Mind, Brain and Education study field. For this purpose, a vast
literature on best practices for teaching and learning proposed by MBE authors was reviewed
and systematized.
A music learning cycle model was developed from this systematization, as well as an
observation form that was applied to 22 lessons lead by 10 teachers, involving instrumental
and general music lessons for students age 5 to 18. The results were contrasted with the
The model and the observation form showed to adapt to different music lessons settings and
levels, providing precise information for teachers on how to improve their teaching and
Background
This study was held in an International School in Lima, Peru. This school serves over a
thousand children of high income national and foreign families, offering the International
Baccalaureate (IBO) curriculum in its 3 levels: Primary Years Program for ages 2 to 11 (Early
Years and Lower School), Middle Years Program for ages 12 to 15 (Upper School), and
Diploma for ages 16-18 (Diploma Program in the last 2 years of Upper School).
Ten full-time music teachers, who attend around 900 of students in the three mentioned
levels, integrate the school's music department. Music lessons include instrumental instruction
in small groups, mandatory from Kinder (age 5-6) to Form I (age 13-14) and optional
henceforth. The instruments offered are recorder, classical guitar, violin, cello, native
instruments, band instruments, singing and piano. The music department is internationally
As external conditions it is mentioned that in 2014 the school passed through an external
review by the IBO and the LAHC (Latin American Heads Conference), and as one of the
results is implementing a series of measures to improve teaching and learning in all subjects
and levels. A workshop by MBE specialist Dr. Tokuhama was delivered to LAHC teachers in
2015, including a dozen of representatives of this school, and many books and guides on
In this context, one of the music teachers developed this research for assessing and improving
teaching and learning of her own team, initiative that was most welcomed by the school and
peers.
Theoretical Framework
Music education is not a concluded work, but a project in constant revision. The different
methodologies applied in the music classrooms come from prevailing philosophical principles
or psychopedagogy theories then verified by teachers in their practice; but are not grounded in
provide teachers with an effective teaching paradigm and the best teaching and learning
learning brain (Tokuhama, 2008). The underlying principle is that a teacher possessing
precise and clear information about how the brain works is able to take informed
Since the 1970s, and specially with the fMRI technologies, the knowledge relating
learning and the relation between music and brain has grown exponentially (Habe,
2010). Neuromusical research was well established by the year 2000 (Gilstrap, 2015).
This new scientific knowledge showed how music affects the brain positively, thus
legitimating musical education; and also showed how the brain works while learning
music.
pseudo neuro scientific knowledge were two phenomena that affected negatively the
results (OECD, 2002). Serious researchers were very cautious therefore to affirm that
neuroscience could actually help teachers. But since 2008, various authors stated that
finally there was enough scientific evidence gathered to inform music educators
(Stewart & Williamon, 2008; Hodges, 2009; Flohr, 2010; Curtis & Fallin, 2014; Collins,
For this study, best practices for teaching and learning in general and specifically for
music education by various MBE authors were systematized in a list of 58 items. After
defining this list, a music learning model was developed mainly based on the optimal
dimensions or steps in the continuum of music learning: feeling, doing and integrating.
This integrative model (Fig. 1) shows how music is learned in the short span and in the
long term, providing a framework for both concrete musical activities and long term
curriculum planning.
which has internal and external domains and a prevailing brain processes, was used in
the classification of the best practices, in the structuring of items for the observation
form, in the interpretation of the results, and also in the creation of report for the music
teachers team.
From the model, eleven sub-categories with linked learning experiences were defined, in
- External doing: Music and movement, imitating a model, representing music in other
- Internal doing: Active mental processes like active listening, internal listening, mental
- External Feeling: The emotional environment created by the teachers. Their role in
facilitating the learning process, their positive reinforcements, their strategies for
promoting participation, their encouragement for trial and error in a safe way, their
humor.
- Social Feeling: Activities in small and big groups, activities promoting verbal
change of focus point, change in rhythm, change in the use of space, use of peripheral
metacognition activities.
- Meaning (Internal Integration): Relating parts to the whole, relating core to peripheral
aspects, finding tonal and rhythmic patterns, finding and relating motives, phrases and
relevance.
- Optimizing memory: Providing time for processing and memorizing new knowledge,
In all music lessons a combination of various best practices were observed. Only one
best practice was not observed (sensorial integration) and one best practice was found
in every single lesson (students producing something in class). For the following results,
the incidence percentage was establish through calculating the percentage of lessons in
Best practices for doing were the most commonly observed, with an incidence between
23% and 100%, resulting in an average of 55%. Best practices for feeling had an
incidence between 0% and 87%, with an average of 48%; and best practices for
integrating had an incidence between 14% and 82%, with an average of 43%. These
learning and teachers intuitively integrate a big amount of best practices in their
The results for the sub - categories show a higher or lower incidence of best practices in
some particular parts of the process of learning, as shown below (Table 1):
Unicity 40%
Relevance 45%
Meaning 36%
External feeling has the highest average percentage, showing that teachers
display best practices that provide students with a safe and rich emotional environment
for learning. Best practices for optimizing memory and for internal doing were also very
commonly observed, both processes being essential for learning music through
listening, learning and memorizing repertoire, and creating music as well. Both
strengths were recognized by the music teachers with pride. Most students feel happy to
learn music with their teachers, and the various performing opportunities for students
show that they are able to make music in a high level. The high incidence of music
creation observed, an objective that was introduced in the curricula only two years
Optimizing attention was the weakest sub-category, with an incidence of 17%. Only two
strategies for optimizing the attention of students were consistently observed, while
others were almost not used. Teachers commented that they didn't know the other
strategies listed or felt that these were unnecessary because of the short time they had
to attend students; but they also manifested that some lessons were difficult because of
behavioural problems, specially in general music lessons and in the first years of upper
school. They manifested their interest in receiving some teacher training on these
strategies.
Best practices for meaning was the second lowest sub-category, with an average
percentage of 36%. This was coincident with one of the biggest concerns of the team
regarding the low performance of students in the IB Diploma exams, in which students
are asked to analyze and explain music. When reviewing the list of best practices for this
dimension, teachers expressed that they did not know how to turn these items into
lesson activities. Probably improving this aspect would lead to improve the analysis
There were no significant differences between the types of lessons. Average percentage
for instrumental lessons was 45.6% and for general music lessons was 45.2%. This
could be probably explained by the fact that almost all teachers teach both instrumental
Between levels, though, there was a slightly lower average percentage of incidence for
upper school with 36%, versus 43% for baccalaureate and 56% for kinder and lower
school. When examining the results in each dimension, the differences between upper
school and the other levels for the dimension of doing is not significant, and it is even
slightly higher for the dimension of feeling. However, there is a remarkable difference in
the dimension of integrating (38% for upper school versus 46% for early years and
primary and 47% for baccalaureate), especially in the sub-categories of relevance and
meaning.
The low incidence in relevance points out why teachers report that they must make an
extra effort to convince students to continue with their music course when it becomes
optional, and also why students want to change the proposed repertoire or even the
proposed themes for general music lessons. The low incidence in meaning reveals the
weak attention that is given to the understanding of musical elements and concepts,
which is fundamental for attaining analysis skills. Teachers expressed that this is
Conclusions
In order to assess music lessons from the perspective of the MBE in this particular
school, an integrative model for music learning and an observation form were designed.
Both proved to serve in a variety of music lesson types and in lessons involving students
ranging ages 5 to 18. The model was useful in providing introductory information to the
teachers before the observation, in helping the observed teachers to complement the
information obtained with the observation form with their own perspective, and also in
the stage of sharing the results with them and establishing goals.
The adequacy of the model in other settings (tertiary education, particular teaching,
different range of ages, state schools, traditional learning settings, etc.) and also for
planning and assessing longer term learning (music units or even whole curriculum)
working along with the teachers being assessed and registering their comments and
catalyst for awakening the ideas contained in it; thus helping teachers observe their own
practice from the students' experience point of view. Therefore, the proposed
assessment process requires the leading of a person with enough knowledge of MBE and
lead this particular process. The latter would require the development of a guide to
Even with these observations, this proposal could serve many institutions in their
attempts to improve music teaching and learning in a way that is student - centered,
involves teachers actively, and provides precise and relevant information on how to
improve the experience of students. Even the students could be implied in the
their learning experience while they learn about how their brains work when learning
music.
References
Flohr, J. W. (2010). Best practices for young children’s music education: Guidance from
research, and implications for pedagogy and policy (Doctoral dissertation, California
music teaching and learning. The Oxford handbook of music education, 1, 205-223.
the Brain: Towards a New Learning Science. Paris: OECD Publications Service.
Stewart, L., & Williamon, A. (2008). What are the implications of neuroscience for