Research directions: gender, technology and engagement in music

Research directions: gender, technology and engagement in music

Beyond sequencing and notation exercises, the traditional music teacher has been somewhat
conservative in embracing technology. In a study on the attributes necessary to teach music
effectively, pre-service and early-career music teachers did not mention skills and
knowledge in technology as highly important (Harrison, 2004; Harrison & Ballantyne,
2005). Experienced teachers, however, acknowledge the need for skills in managing
technology as one of the most important aspects of teaching in which proficiency is required
(Harrison, 2004). Given that technology is a major part of current education and life
practice, and that the current cohort of school students has not known a world without
technology, the perceptions of both music teachers and music students are worthy of
investigation.
Technology is also perceived as a masculine pastime (Comber, Colley & Hargreaves, 1993).
The review of the literature reported here indicates that engagement with technology in
boys' schools is an area for future research. This paper describes a proposed project that
examines pre-service teacher motivation and confidence in the use of technology in schools
and which will seek to provide a template for professional learning about music technology
in pre-service and in-service phases.