A Pedagogy for Continuation: Rethinking Instrumental Teaching after Whole Class Ensemble Tuition (WCET)

The original National Plan for Music Education (DfE & DCMS, 2011) cemented whole class ensemble tuition (WCET) in state schools in England but was less prescriptive about how post-WCET pathways were to be provided. Concerns about short-lived continuation and preliminary levels of attainment among post-WCET learners soon emerged and are now supported by data (Fautley & Whittaker, 2018; ACE, 2024). This thesis addresses these concerns by asking how instrumental pedagogy can be adapted to better facilitate pupils’ engagement and progress as they continue lessons after WCET. It draws on literature about traditional and alternative instrumental pedagogies and establishes John Dewey’s educational ideals as a theoretical framework in order to propose a new pedagogy for continuation: ‘Be a musician’ (BeAM) prioritises pupil-led learning and musical experiences, i.e. being a musician in the instrumental lesson, rather than treating lessons as preparation for becoming a musician in the future. The second half of the thesis reports on an action research project in which I enacted BeAM with post-WCET learners in a small-group, primary school setting. I collected data from lesson footage, field notes, and focus groups, before analysing it thematically.

The thesis’s key findings are that: using pupil-led pedagogy is an effective way to facilitate engagement among post-WCET learners; drawing a greater distinction between training and educating in instrumental teaching allows pupils’ individual aspirations to be considered and for the progress they make to be recognised in new ways; adopting this Deweyan concept of progress permits pupils to demonstrate their ‘growing power’ through the ways in which they engage in instrumental lesson activities; and, pupil-led pedagogies are better positioned (than traditional approaches) to support agendas that
aim to engage all children musically, such as the National Plan for Music Education. This research helps music hubs understand the specific needs of post-WCET learners and provides an evidence base for instrumental teachers. By redefining how engagement and progress are regarded in traditional musical contexts, the thesis also argues for a
paradigm shift in music education at large.