Udvikling af undervisningsformer i Gribskov Musikskole: Et casestudie baseret på et dokumenteret kompetenceforløb

Abstract

Context Gribskov Music School assessed its structure and teaching methods 10 years ago because of financial necessity and based on a survey of the students. The instruction was and still is organized as individual music lessons. Further, the Music School offers students lessons in group playing, music theory, choir and other options. The parents surveyed 10 years ago preferred to have group playing integrated with the individual lessons. The Music School therefore created opportunities for group lessons by consolidating individual lessons, such that students would have more time to play music together with other students. The teachers could form teams and thereby implement group lessons and other grouprelated learning. The student fees did not rise despite these new forms of teaching. Innovation and development These changes have been incremental but have not been implemented adequately. The Music School therefore initiated a step-change innovation project for developing competencies. A researcher from the Danish School of Education documented the project, interviewing the 14 participating teachers and surveying them on how they assessed their teaching and the project. The Music School compiled teachers’ ideas about the group lessons in a catalog. The full research report forms the case study for this thesis, with the following research questions. How can developing teaching methods based on Jean Hartley’s theory on innovation and public value contribute to learning and the future development of music lessons in the Music School? What evidence is there that the students assess that public value has been added? How can network collaboration with external organizations assist in adding public value? The analysis focuses on theories on public value, including: Mark Moore’s strategic triangle for creating public value; John Benington’s two definitions: the public value valued explicitly by the public and the broader and more long-term public value added by innovative public organizations; and Jean Hartley’s analysis of innovation – whether an organization is innovative, thereby improving organization and adding public value. Research paradigms The thesis views management strategies and the structure and educational activities of the Music School in a socioeconomic framework that includes new public management, the neo-Weberian state and new public governance. The project for developing competencies and the planned compensation based on results reflect the new public management paradigm, and emphasizing the public value created in the interaction between teachers and students is a neo-Weberian state perspective on the expected public value of the teaching. Conclusion The Music School has the prerequisites for creating added public value in relation to Mark Moore’s strategic triangle. The project indicates inertia in teaching methods, which is path-dependent on the structural and educational framework. Development has been incremental. The Music School does not seem to be genuinely innovative if innovation is considered to be rapid and transformational development. Nevertheless, the teachers bolstering collaboration by using each other’s competencies has improved the organization. Signs of improvement, innovation and creation of public value include (1) the organizational innovation necessary to add public value, (2) meeting the students’ expressed needs and (3) creating broader and longer-term public value not based on the students’ expressed needs. Perspectives Solely fulfilling the expressed desires of the students cannot achieve the Music School’s objectives; the teaching must be developed to add broader and longer-term public value. Implementing the teachers’ catalog of ideas will contribute to this and better integrate the Music School into the increasing collaboration with primary and lower secondary schools. Further, the increasing collaboration between the music schools and schools on resources and competencies adds public value. Art for art’s sake: the impact of arts education (OECD, 2013) supports this view, showing that students’ creative musical experiences positively influence the learning of language. The Music School’s increasing collaboration with schools, childcare centers and nursing homes on concerts initiated by the community or by the Music School and the public value this adds supports the necessary focus for innovation in teaching. Efforts in developing the Music School curriculum pursuant to a new statutory order should therefore focus on objectives for network collaboration to ensure added public value.