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Making space for singing in the 21st century classroom – A focus group interview study with primary school music teachers in Sweden

Horwitz, Eva Bojner ; Johnson, David Thorarinn LU ; Lyberg-Åhlander, Viveka LU orcid ; Sahlén, Birgitta LU orcid ; Laukka, Petri and Bygdéus, Pia LU (2024) In British Journal of Music Education 41(2). p.209-223
Abstract

The present study aimed to increase understanding of how singing activities may be initiated in primary school, and what support and assistance teachers require to conduct singing activities as an integrated part of the school day. Five music teachers participated in a focus group interview. The following main themes were identified: 1) pedagogical and methodological flexibility, 2) the role of routines and familiarity, 3) the embodied and multimodal dimensions of singing, 4) the importance of accompaniment and instruments, 5) the experience of insecurity and obstacles and 6) the perceived synergies between singing and other learning activities. This knowledge may be important to integrate within music teacher education in order to... (More)

The present study aimed to increase understanding of how singing activities may be initiated in primary school, and what support and assistance teachers require to conduct singing activities as an integrated part of the school day. Five music teachers participated in a focus group interview. The following main themes were identified: 1) pedagogical and methodological flexibility, 2) the role of routines and familiarity, 3) the embodied and multimodal dimensions of singing, 4) the importance of accompaniment and instruments, 5) the experience of insecurity and obstacles and 6) the perceived synergies between singing and other learning activities. This knowledge may be important to integrate within music teacher education in order to secure singing’s place in schools.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
music teacher education, primary school, Singing activities, Sånghälsa
in
British Journal of Music Education
volume
41
issue
2
pages
209 - 223
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85180935407
ISSN
0265-0517
DOI
10.1017/S0265051723000360
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), 2023.
id
e9e1e5fa-d06d-4366-91f9-7820f04318a4
date added to LUP
2026-03-09 16:48:35
date last changed
2026-03-09 16:48:43
@article{e9e1e5fa-d06d-4366-91f9-7820f04318a4,
  abstract     = {{<p>The present study aimed to increase understanding of how singing activities may be initiated in primary school, and what support and assistance teachers require to conduct singing activities as an integrated part of the school day. Five music teachers participated in a focus group interview. The following main themes were identified: 1) pedagogical and methodological flexibility, 2) the role of routines and familiarity, 3) the embodied and multimodal dimensions of singing, 4) the importance of accompaniment and instruments, 5) the experience of insecurity and obstacles and 6) the perceived synergies between singing and other learning activities. This knowledge may be important to integrate within music teacher education in order to secure singing’s place in schools.</p>}},
  author       = {{Horwitz, Eva Bojner and Johnson, David Thorarinn and Lyberg-Åhlander, Viveka and Sahlén, Birgitta and Laukka, Petri and Bygdéus, Pia}},
  issn         = {{0265-0517}},
  keywords     = {{music teacher education; primary school; Singing activities; Sånghälsa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{209--223}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{British Journal of Music Education}},
  title        = {{Making space for singing in the 21st century classroom – A focus group interview study with primary school music teachers in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0265051723000360}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0265051723000360}},
  volume       = {{41}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}