Investigating Students’ Learning of Sustainable Development through Music Education: An Exploratory Study at Key Stage 3 in England A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Yusi Cheng College of Health and Life Sciences Brunel University London June 2015 2 Abstract ‘Education’ is widely regarded as the primary agent of transformation towards ‘sustainable development (SD). In England, ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ (ESD) has been an established part of the National Curriculum, but in secondary schools, the subject of music, which seems to have great potential for helping in creating interest and awareness of SD to foster responsible behaviours, appears more often to be ignored. There is a growing enthusiasm for, and anecdotal recognition of, the benefits of using music in the teaching of SD issues to young people amongst educators and musicians. However, no in-depth ESD empirical research with regard to music education and few ESD good practices currently exist. To this end, the PhD, which examines the pedagogical potential of music in ESD and the role of music as a learning medium in the development of students’ capacities necessary for a more sustainable future, fills this research gap. An ethnographical intervention, informed by constructionist and symbolic interactionist approaches, is employed in this project. Sets of music-SD lessons in the lower stages of four secondary schools in London boroughs were analysed as case studies of how SD might be taught in music classrooms. Evidence suggested that it is feasible and beneficial to embed SD into the secondary music curriculum. The findings demonstrated that a transformative pedagogical approach in ESD was achieved by combining different methods for integration, including listening, composing and performing pieces of music, raps and songs on SD and creating and performing junk instruments, with a range of strategies of ESD, such as discussion, audio and visual activities, brainstorming and co-operative work, in a holistic process. For some students, compared with the traditional subjects for ESD, such as geography and science, the particular ways of learning SD within the musical context seemingly resulted in their higher level of enthusiastic, active, participative, affective and transformative learning, and thus positively affected the achievement of the outcomes of ESD, which was manifested in the development of their SD-related understandings, skills, attitudes and potential behaviours. 3 Contents Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………....2 List of Tables …………………………………………………………………………………..8 List of Figures ………………………………………………………………………………....9 List of Boxes …………………………………………………………………………………..11 Acronyms ……………………………………………………………………………………...12 Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………….13 Declaration …………………………………………………………………………………….15 Chapter 1 Introduction ……………………………………………………………….......16 1.1 Situating the research ……………………………………………………………….……16 1.1.1 The context of the study ……………………………………………………………17 1.1.2 The justification and original contribution of study ……………………………….22 1.1.3 The aims of the study and the research question …………………….……..…..24 1.2 The structure of the thesis …………………………………………..……………………26 Chapter 2 Literature Review …………………………………………………………….29 2.1 Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………...…29 2.2 Sustainable development ……………………………………………………………...…29 2.2.1 The context for ‘sustainable development’ …………………………………….....30 2.2.2 The conceptual meaning of sustainable development ………………………….31 2.2.3 The affectivity of sustainable development ……………………………………….32 2.2.4 The main challenge of sustainable development …………………………..……35 2.2.4.1 Sustainable development – an ambiguous phrase …………………..…35 2.2.4.2 The feasibility of sustainable development ……………………..……….37 2.3 Education for sustainable development …………………………………………..…….39 2.3.1 The role of education towards sustainable development ……………...………..39 2.3.1.1 The nature of education ……………………………………………………40 2.3.1.2 The links between the nature of education and sustainable development ……………………………………………………………….48 2.3.2 The concept of ‘education for sustainable development’ …………...…………..50 2.3.3 The methods used by education for the achievement of sustainable development ……………….………………………………………………………..52 2.4 Arts education ……………………………………………………….…………………….58 2.4.1 Drama ……………………………………………………………………..…………62 2.4.2 The role of music ……………...…………………………………………………….64 2.4.3 Music and ‘education for sustainable development’ ………………….………….72 2.5 Summary ……………………………………………………….…………………………..77 Chapter 3 Methodology ………………………………………………………….……….79 3.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………………...……………79 3.2 Philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of this research …...……………………80 3.2.1 Epistemology – Constructionism …………………………………………………. 81 4 3.2.2 Theoretical perspective – Symbolic interactionism ……………………….…......83 3.2.3 Interrelation between ‘social constructionism’ and ‘symbolic interactionism’ ....85 3.2.4 Links of the philosophical and theoretical frameworks to this research …….…86 3.2.5 Relation of the philosophical and theoretical frameworks to the research questions ……………………………………………………………………….……87 3.3 Methodology – Ethnography ……………………………………………….…………….89 3.4 Research methods …………………………………………………………………….….91 3.4.1 Research procedures and data gathering within fieldwork …………….……….92 3.4.2 Changes from the initial planning to the actual research procedure ……..…….94 3.4.2.1 Changes in research methods ……………………………….…………...94 3.4.2.2 Changes in the time arrangements …………………………………..…..95 3.4.3 The relationship between research questions and methods …………….……..97 3.4.4 Sampling ……………………………………………………………………………..98 3.4.5 Documentary method ……………………………………………………………102 3.4.6 Teaching intervention ……………………………………………………………..103 3.4.7 Questionnaires ……………………………………………...…………………..…104 3.4.8 Observations ……………………………………………………………………….107 3.4.8.1 School observations ……………………………………………..…….…107 3.4.8.2 Classroom observations .....................................................................108 3.4.8.3 Techniques for data recording ............................................................110 3.4.9 Interviews .......................................................................................................112 3.4.9.1 Semi-structured individual interviews with music teachers .................115 3.4.9.2 Semi-structured group interviews with students .................................116 3.4.10 Data analysis ................................................................................................117 3.4.11 Positionality ..................................................................................................120 3.4.12 Ethical issues ...............................................................................................123 3.5 Summary ................................................................................................................126 Chapter 4 The Context of Research .....................................................................128 4.1 Introduction ……………………………………………………………………….………128 4.2 Contemporary music education in England ……………………………………….…..128 4.2.1 The compulsory education system in England ……………..…………………..129 4.2.2 England’s secondary music curriculum …………………………….……………130 4.2.3 Music class teaching in England ……………………………………………..…..132 4.2.3.1 Instructional mode …………………………………………………….….132 4.2.3.2 Teaching content …………………………………………………..……..133 4.2.3.3 Teaching facilities …………………………………………………..…….133 4.2.3.4 Classroom activities ………………………………………………………133 4.3 Background information of schools …………………………………………………….134 4.3.1 General background information ………………………………………….……..134 4.3.1.1 School A ………………………………………….………………………..134 4.3.1.2 School B ………………………………………………………………..….136 4.3.1.3 School C …………………………………………………….……………..137 4.3.1.4 School D ………………………………………………….………………..139 4.3.2 Music learning at Key Stage 3 ……………………………………………..……..140 4.3.3 ESD in schools ………………………………………………………………141 5 4.3.3.1 An integrated approach of SD through the curriculum ………………..142 4.3.3.2 An integrated approach of SD through activities …………………….144 4.4 Background information of music teachers ……………………………………………144 4.4.1 School A’s music teacher ………………………………………………...……….145 4.4.2 School B’s music teacher ………………………………………………...……….146 4.4.3 School C’s music teacher ………………………………………………….……..147 4.4.4 School D’s music teacher ………………………………………….……….…….148 4.5 Background information of students …………………………………………………...149 4.5.1 School A’s students ……………………………………………………………….150 4.5.2 School B’s students ……………………………………………………………….151 4.5.3 School C’s students ……………………………………………………………….152 4.5.4 School D’s students ……………………………………………………………….152 4.6 Summary …………………………………………………………………………….……153 Chapter 5 Data Analysis and Discussion – teaching strategies and participants’ interactions within the music-SD lessons ……………………………………………..155 5.1 Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………....155 5.2 The design and implementation of music-SD lessons ………………………….……156 5.2.1 The process of planning ……………………………………………….………….157 5.2.2 The teaching methods and strategies ………………………………………..….160 5.2.2.1 The method of interdisciplinary connection ………………..…………..161 5.2.2.1.1 School A ………………………………………………………..162 5.2.2.1.2 School B …………………………………………………….….164 5.2.2.1.3 School C …………………………………………………….….166 5.2.2.1.4 School D …………………………………………………….….167 5.2.2.2 How the music-SD lessons integrated into the national and schools’ curriculum ……………………………………………………………...….168