Using the Compassionate Music Teaching (CMT) framework as a lens, in this study I explored the ways that teachers of adults learning recreationally in music lessons may align their teaching approaches to learners’ adult-specific needs. Adult education scholars have accentuated the need for facilitators of adult learning to consider adult learners’ life experiences, circumstances, and identities (Merriam & Baumgartner, 2020). Researchers studying adults learning music have similarly identified the ways in which adults appreciate opportunities to ask questions, share in discussions, and be a part of the decision-making processes related to their music learning (Creech et al., 2020; Creech et al., 2014; Rohwer, 2012).
In alignment with adult education and music education scholarship, the CMT framework offers an approach through which teachers may connect with learners as people to support their musical and personal growth (Hendricks, 2018). However, as Roulston et al. (2015) identified, an approach has not yet been proposed specifically for the teaching and learning of adult music learners. Whereas one might assume that a lack of adult-specific teaching techniques may not pose an issue in a one-on-one setting, there is evidence that even when teachers make efforts to meet adult learners’ needs in lessons, they are not always successful (Leahy & Smith, 2021). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the ways, if any, that teachers of adults engaged and empowered adults learning in recreational music lesson settings.
Through the process of narrative inquiry, I engaged with participants in guided conversations to explore their processes of becoming musicians and educators and the ways they engaged compassionately with their adult students. I share the findings of the narrative inquiry through a series of re-storied vignettes. The findings of this study highlighted adult-specific needs that arose from the participants’ narratives and the ways that the teachers enacted qualities of CMT (trust, empathy, patience, inclusion, community, authentic connection) as they worked to meet those needs. I explore these needs under four categories: (a) following learner goals and objectives, (b) acting as a guide, (c) respecting learners’ full humanity, and (d) supporting musical belonging. The results of this study contribute to extant research by offering further insight into adults’ music learning needs, offering teachers of adults approaches through which may better meet learner needs, and expanding the CMT framework to include the experiences of adults learning recreationally.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/47893 |
| Date | 02 January 2024 |
| Creators | Leahy, Kaitlyn Sarah |
| Contributors | Hendricks, Karin S. |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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