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The pre-school teacher is the key educational figure in the pre-school and is expected, among other responsibilities, to integrate music into the curriculum. Nevertheless, many pre-school teachers communicate a sense of inadequacy with regard to their music competencies, and a lack of confidence in their music teaching ability. The gap between the pre-school teachers' musical abilities and the expectation that they will direct musical experiences in pre-schools generated the incentive for this study. The aim ofthe study was to examine the development of pre-school teachers' musical competencies, confidence, and ability to integrate music into the pre-school during the process of a one-academic-year music course which focused on the fundamental element ofmusic - rhythm, using percussion instruments. The study followed the process of two pre-school teachers' groups studying the course consecutively at two different locations in Israel: a teacher training regional college and a local community town music centre. The methodology used was qualitative action research. The subjects were pre-school teachers who participated in the courses. Data were gathered through observations, questionnaires, focus groups and reflective journals. Photographs and videos were used to document experiences during the course and in the pre-schools. The findings revealed that the structured one-academic-year rhythmic music course using percussion instruments improved the pre-school teachers' knowledge and expertise in music and contributed to their playing skills. It was also possible to enhance the teachers' confidence with regard to their musical abilities and their ability to lead musical experiences in the pre-school. However, the transfer of these competencies into practice is challenging as the pre-school teachers tend to transfer their experiences to the field work 'as is', in a technical manner, lacking the ability for musical aesthetic judgment. The conclusions are that a rhythmic music course is a feasible means to improve preschool teachers' musical competencies and confidence. However, although this special training may contribute to the teachers' musical development, in order for the process to be assimilated and for the learning to be effectively transferred into practice, it is essential that supportive professional music assistance and follow-up will accompany the pre-school teachers, in their educational work. Additionally, the research found that when a group of educators is built as a 'community of learners' that together constructs knowledge, the learning experience is magnified and the group serves as a motivating force which provides support and e~couragement to its members.

The aim of this research was to examine relationships between musical abilities and general intelligence, initially using Gardner's (1983) theory of multiple intelligences, which contend that they are separate. The intra-personal and social contexts of musical ability were then investigated to clarify whether immediate contacts operated distinctly from those in wider contexts. Finally, using Dickens and Flynn's (2001) theory of intelligence, the temporal context of musical ability was examined to see if musical abilities can be self-enhancing. The research sites used were nine schools in England and Wales, representative of different social strata and musical specialisation, including state primary, choir and independent schools, from which 433 pupils, aged 7-11 (middle childhood) took part. Measures used were the Bentley (1966a) Measures of Musical Ability, Heim and Simmonds' (1974) Group Tests of General Reasoning, National Foundation for Educational Research Tests in English and Mathematics (1994a, 1994b) and Bellin and Rees' (2004) adaptation of Harter's (1988) self-perception scales for self-concept. A musical experience questionnaire was also devised. It was found that musical ability and general intelligence are not separate intelligences in the way that Gardner's multiple intelligences theory would suggest. The closeness of the relationship between musical ability and general intelligence justified applying notions from Dickens and Flynn's (2001) theory of intelligence to musical ability. Relationships between musical abilities and self- concept concerned the sense of academic competence in non-specialist as well as specialist schools. Historic changes such as music in the curriculum seem to have boosted musical abilities in middle childhood in state, specialist and independent schools. The most powerful influence appeared to be learning to play a musical instrument. However, contrary to assumptions of multiplying effects of social influences, musical abilities do not appear to be self enhancing.

Although the borders between art practice and domains like philosophy have been questioned, education and its relation to art seems somehow to be overlooked in these exchanges. In my arts-led research I examine the ways the teaching artist may be able to cross the borders between art and education to produce a hybrid field in which hierarchical distinctions are questioned and the voices of students legitimised. Through my own practice as a teaching artist I am attempting to recognise, theorise, ground and develop a framework for this hybrid field. In my practice-led PhD I am trying to create space for an alternative, parallel possibility within art education. To do so, I draw on the work of Kester (2004) and Bourriaud (2002) who analyse dialogic artworks and relational aesthetics (respectively). I perceive art lessons as artistic events in the relational sense and the space where these exchanges take place, as an ever-evolving installation artwork. To this effect I have created a series of multimodal installations, which question the dichotomy of visual arts and pedagogy. These installations became increasingly participatory 'culminating' in a project, (The Benevolent Trap' May, 2010) which involved pertinent presentations and discussions with fellow students. Affect through the visual becomes the fulcrum for inciting dialogue on the relation between art and meaningmaking. On a theoretical level I draw on Deleuze and Guattari, and particularly on their notions of the 'rhizome' and 'smooth space'. In my practice-based research project I therefore explore art making as a meta-process in which making about making becomes a way of thinking about thinking. The quest though is to create a space where participants can revisit their own assumptions and reflect on them.

Cultural norms determine where creative ideas and products arise and how they are judged; yet despite the prevalence of literature on creativity, ambiguity persists about global understandings of the concept. The internationalisation of higher education has resulted in multicultural classrooms that provide opportunities for intercultural communication and creative collaborations yet risk misunderstandings and cultural essentialism. There is a lack of empirical research into student learning in art and design and even less that takes cultural contexts into account. The main methodological models that have emerged since the mid twentieth century endorse an understanding of creativity as an internal cognitive function. As the majority of intercultural creativity research is based on assumptions about individual and collective societies the antipathy between creativity and conformity has been perpetuated. The literature reveals multiple functional definitions of creativity operating in the UK and a value paradox between Western and non-Western models of creativity. Using semi structured interviews with stakeholders in a UK art and design college as well as analysing institutional documents, the research investigates how previous teaching and learning experiences impact the understanding, teaching, practice and assessment of creativity in a multicultural environment with particular reference to Confucian heritage cultures. The study explores individual and societal level themes and concludes that contemporary creativity cannot be separated from cultural context and proposes a model of intercultural creativity in concurrence with confluence models combining a number of individual and cultural factors. Creativity is conceived as the fusion of individual creative potential with a favourable social context manifested in a collaborative learning culture. Recommendations are made with regard to the necessity of raising intercultural awareness amongst students and lecturers.

This thesis reports on a case study in change management which took place at a small infant school within the authority for which I work, looking at specific issues faced by the head teacher as she introduced new pedagogic practice for the delivery of the music curriculum across her school. The case study is presented in relation to data derived from questionnaires issued within the same authority to provide relevant background information on arts provision across all school phases and music provision in primary schools. The school was chosen because over recent years it had failed to make any significant improvement in standards and, in an effort to improve areas of literacy and numeracy, the teaching of much of the broader curriculum had become marginalised. As an LEA inspector, linked to the school with a specialist interest in music and the performing arts, I considered this an opportunity to look closely at issues related to teaching music in the early years and how effective change might be brought about. The findings of my research concluded that a practical creative approach to teaching music within early years can contribute to a higher quality learning environment which if properly supported and developed can result in significant changes to the life of a school. The research showed that while the role of Music Co-ordinator was not eagerly sought by teachers, it was no less popular than many other non-core subject areas, something I had not expected to find. The research also reflected a continuing reduction in music specialists entering teaching, while the preliminary results from the case study would support the views of those who consider that a non specialist is quite capable of delivering high quality music lessons at this level. One of the most significant factors to come out of this research was the crucial importance of confidence by the teaching staff in their own skills and abilities and the need for the head teacher in managing this change process to build on this confidence. "In depressed schools ' one of the few ways of building commitment to a reform program is for successful action to occur that actualizes hope of genuine change.” (Louis and Miles, 1990:204) "

Creative Partnerships was launched in 2002 as an arts-based education programme that aimed to transform the aspirations of young people living in socially and economically deprived areas of England. The organisation was established in response to the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education (NACCCE, 1999), which offered an account of creativity as a means to foster individual self-reliance and social unity. This thesis explores how the NACCCE’s construction of creativity enabled New Labour to appear to endorse the value of the arts in education whilst promoting the model of the self as an autonomous economic unit, and considers how Creative Partnerships was paradoxically welcomed by supporters of the arts in education who were displeased with the instrumentalism at work in much of New Labour’s education policy. The aim of this thesis is to understand Creative Partnerships by examining the discourse that constitutes the programme, and by offering an empirical enquiry into a project that took place within a secondary school in the north of England. In so doing, this thesis critically evaluates the political motivation for the use of arts-based education as a means to develop self-reliance, and considers how successive governments have imported the free market economic model into education to promote efficiency, and the role that Creative Partnerships might be said to play in the maximisation of the total social system. Finally, this thesis considers the current limitations of Creative Partnerships, and how arts-based education might be used to develop social cohesion.

This thesis examines the relatively lower uptake rates of GCSE music in comparison to other optional subjects at Key Stage 4 (KS4), such as art, drama and sport. The purpose of the study is primarily to explore the factors which might influence students’ decision whether or not to take GCSE music. In relation to this, the thesis also examines the purposes of music in schools; whether the compulsory music curriculum in school is mainly for: an aesthetic appreciation of music and the arts; the advancement of musical subject knowledge and preparation for further study at KS4; and/or for the attainment of extra-musical benefits, such as transfer effects. The extent to which lower uptake rates should be considered problematic is discussed, as well as the impact of uptake rates on the place of music in the school curriculum. The key research question, “What are the factors which affect the uptake rates for GCSE Music?” is explored using a mixed methods design using quantitative and qualitative data. Data were collected from pupils in Key Stage 3 (N=679); those studying GCSE and A-Level Music (previous option-takers, N=275); students studying for the BMus in Music, and the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in secondary music (N=52). The key findings indicate that children at KS3 reflect upon whether or not they perceive that music will be necessary for them in terms of future career choices as a major contributory factor as to whether they might opt to take GCSE music; they are less likely to choose the subject if they perceive that they will not undertake a career in music, and this factor was statistically significant above and beyond the other factors, between and within schools. Additionally, children in KS3, although most felt that GCSE music would not be beyond them, felt that the perceived need and effort involved v in learning to play an instrument might deter them from opting to take GCSE music. The profile of the participants in the GCSE and A-Level music group (who had previously opted for GCSE music) showed that instrumental skills were held by all but two of these students, and indicate that instrumental skills are a part of most students’ background; the implications of this are considered. Other factors are also considered. The implications of these findings are explored in the thesis and recommendations are given for further research.

This case study, based on students in the Applied Arts department of an academy in Hong Kong, investigates the relationship between andragogy and student approaches to learning by looking at the curriculum delivery and how the student approaches to learning affect the outcome. Hong Kong is an international city at the intersection between Chinese and Western cultures. Whilst its most recent past has been influenced by western culture, its origin is derived from traditional Chinese culture. For its part, The Academy is in a unique position to make a strong contribution to the development of performing arts both in China and Hong Kong. Established by Ordinance in 1984 in response to the city’s growing need to develop arts and arts education, the Academy holds a strategic position capable of bridging Chinese and Western culture. The curriculum follows the model of an American performing arts school – a model based on Western teaching and learning styles and one that requires andragogical approaches and interactive participation in the creative process. In contrast to this approach, Academy students are recipients of pedagogical practices that value analytical abilities over self-exploration. They learn through second language instruction, delivered in a way that is unfamiliar to them. Data collection focused on the Applied Arts department of the School of Technical Arts and involved students and faculty members. Through an interpretative paradigm it set out to discover whether a fundamental change to the curriculum is required. The outcome of the research revealed that students have difficulties reconciling their inherent learning styles with the curriculum content and implementation. Requiring them to break away from a familiar and comfortable mode of learning, to a style of learning that requires them to learn with understanding and personal control over the process, is a jump that creates much difficulty. The general consensus revealed that The Academy should move away from the present American model and develop an independent system that will acknowledge the natural and engrained learning styles of the students and adopt educational philosophies that are more suitable for Hong Kong.

This study builds on the work of researchers such as Anning and Ring (2004) and Brooks (2002, 2004, 2005a, 2005b), who have used socio-cultural theory to investigate the influence of context on young children’s drawing, meaning making, and representation at home and in school. My thesis explores the communicative potential of young children’s drawings through case studies of 14 reception and year one children at a rural school in South West England. The three main research questions concerned what and how the children communicated through drawing, as well as drawing influences. Data were collected over one school year, in three seven-week research phases. Spontaneous drawings from home and school were collected in scrapbooks and discussed with the children. The class teacher and the children’s parents were interviewed and observations of the children drawing in class were also conducted. These methods were repeated for each phase. Nearly 800 drawings were analysed through a data-driven, iterative process where intersubjective understandings were emphasised. The communicative potential of the children’s drawings was considerably broad, but one main theme (Identity) and two sub-themes (Power and Purpose) were visible in relation to the data. Importantly, the drawings offered spaces for intellectual play and identity construction, where the children positioned themselves as competent and creative individuals. The drawings were also shaped by a variety of shifting socio-cultural factors stemming from home, school, and elsewhere. The implications of the study highlight the value of recognising drawing as a complex visual language that should be shared through verbal discussion. Additionally, a large-scale survey was conducted in order to gain a broad base of understanding about early years teachers’ beliefs, practices, and knowledge in relation to drawing. The findings appeared to reflect the impact of the ‘‘mixed messages’’ in current educational policy, particularly in regard to the year group that teachers were teaching.