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Team teaching in the conservatoire: The views of music performance staff and students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2011

Clemens Wöllner  and
Jane Ginsborg
Clemens Wöllner*
Affiliation:
Institute of Musicology and Music Education, University of Bremen FB 9, Enrique-Schmidt-Str. 7, 28359 Bremen, Germanywoellner@uni-bremen.de
Jane Ginsborg
Affiliation:
Royal Northern College of Music, 124 Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9RDjane.ginsborg@rncm.ac.uk
*
Corresponding author: Clemens Wöllner
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Abstract

Team teaching – two or more teachers sharing the training of a group of students – has only recently been implemented in the curricula of many higher music education institutions. This article reports on a survey of 142 music students and their tutors from three departments (the Schools of Strings, Vocal and Opera Studies, and Wind, Brass and Percussion) in a major British conservatoire. Team teaching had been in use for one year in the first department, five years in the second and 30 years in the third. The extent to which respondents valued team teaching was not, however, related to the length of time it had been in use. Key benefits of team teaching were seen as exposure to new ideas and additional feedback. Respondents suggested a variety of improvements to mitigate drawbacks such as perceived differences between tutors' approaches and limited time for individual tuition. Provided tutors and students communicate effectively with each other and negotiate where necessary, this method of teaching and learning is likely to be beneficial for all.

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Music Education , Volume 28 , Issue 3 , November 2011 , pp. 301 - 323
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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