Presenting, performing and exploring music and culture: transnational perspectives using online and face-to-face pedagogies in teacher education

Abstract

Globally, tertiary teacher educators are expected to prepare student teachers to meet the needs of diverse and inclusive classrooms. This study explores a one-off teaching and learning experience across two universities (in Australia and Spain) with undergraduate student teachers undertaking an initial teacher education programme. The focus is on music education as a positive way to promote non-Western music and culture like that of Africa to enhance student teacher understandings of diverse cultures and musics. Interpretative phenomenological analysis is employed as an analytic tool. Findings are reported under five overarching themes: valuing the experience; the benefits of teaching and learning African music; pedagogical understandings; challenges and opportunities; and the impact and influence of technology. As this was a small-scale study, generalisations to other institutes cannot be made. Rather, it adds to the body of research that calls for collaborations across borders.