Authentic music education is based on musical communication through the activities of performing, creating, and listening to music and aims to promote holistic development in the areas of affective, cognitive, and psychomotor development. Among the various concepts of authentic music teaching that can be compared with the guidelines of the Slovenian Curriculum for Music Education in Elementary School (2011), we focused our research on the Orff-Schulwerk2 approach to music and music education in the third stage of basic education. Based on the research results, we examined the state of music teaching the third stage of basic education and presented a teaching model of authentic music teaching according to the Orff-Schulwerk approach.
In interpreting the results, we considered theoretical backgrounds, including pedagogical strategies, the existing curriculum for teaching music in the third stage of basic education, the concept of authentic music teaching, the identity of the music teacher, and the developmental aspects of students in early adolescence. We emphasised the importance of authentic musical experiences and environments for the design of authentic music teaching based on musical communication. To this end, we drew on the Orff-Schulwerk approach, which is characterised by authentic music and movement activities, including instrumental, vocal, and movement improvisations, as well as the creation of elemental theatre.
The empirical part of the dissertation is divided into two parts. The first part of the study investigates the extent to which authentic forms of music teaching are realised in the third stage of basic education and the attitudes of teachers towards various aspects of music teaching. Data were collected using an original questionnaire completed by a representative sample of teachers. In the second part of the study, an evaluative study was conducted in two ninth grades of elementary schools to investigate the impact of the Orff-Schulwerk approach to authentic music teaching on the achievement of the goals of the Slovenian Curriculum for Music Education in Elementary School (2011). A written test, group interviews, and student diary entries, a ten-point scale to assess student interest in music lessons, a modified Webster test II to examine student creative musical performance, a protocol for formative monitoring of student progress and performance, a sociogram, an observation protocol, and a student questionnaire were used to collect data.
The results of the first part of the study confirmed the dominance of traditional teaching in the third level of basic education, which does not promote authentic musical engagement of students. We found that key factors include inadequate curricular and spatial conditions. In the second part, we tested the effectiveness of the Orff-Schulwerk approach. The results of this part showed that the approach enables authentic music teaching, and arouses students' interest in music learning, and enhances their creativity, musical skills, and personal competencies. In this context, the role of the music teacher in providing empathetic and resilient support to the learning process was highlighted, especially in the third phase of basic education. The findings suggest that authentic music teaching, including the Orff-Schulwerk approach, is key to improving the quality of music teaching at different educational levels.
The scientific contribution fills a gap in the Slovenian and international field in terms of knowledge about the importance of authentic music teaching for the quality of music teaching. The research results of the dissertation can contribute to the upgrading of existing music teaching in basic education by providing guidelines for further modernization of the curriculum. Challenges for further research include examining the strengths and weaknesses of traditional and open teaching strategies for quality and authentic music teaching, which would contribute to a professional foundation for further curriculum renewal in basic education.
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