This study presents the concept of ‘hidden learning’ and examines this in relation to data gathered from interviews, observation and questionnaires with participating staff, students and instrumental/vocal teachers at a UK university music department noted for its practically-orientated approach to academic study. The study builds on existing knowledge of one-to-one teaching to create understanding of the ways in which hidden learning contributes to music students’ instrumental/vocal development.
A preliminary survey gives rise to five cases representing a range of pedagogical approaches, differing degrees of learner autonomy and offering diversity of musical genre, operating within individual, social, student-initiated and departmental contexts, and involving varied personnel. The studies explore reasons for the existence of hidden learning; examine how the learning contexts operate in practice; discover the values that students attach to hidden learning; and reveal how hidden learning relates to the one-to-one lesson.
The findings suggest that hidden learning may be unseen by instrumental/vocal teachers and departmental staff and can provide motivating and enabling learning experiences. These develop skills relating to competence, cognition, practice and performance. In addition, more complex learning involving cross-cultural influences may not be consciously articulated by students, thus remaining, to an extent, hidden to the individual as well as to instrumental/vocal teachers and the institution.
Through a three-phase process of analysis five meta-themes emerged: 1) disjunctions of values between students and instrumental/vocal teachers, including musical tastes and aims for learning, and between students and the institution; 2) dialogue deficit between students, teachers and the institution; 3) the purpose of instrumental/vocal learning; 4) responsibility for learning, and 5) reflection on learning. The findings illuminate the contribution of hidden learning to instrumental/vocal development, and suggest that there is scope for further pedagogical consideration of provision for instrumental/vocal learning and the role of hidden learning within higher music education.
