Chua, SL; (2018) Growing Music Teacher Identity and Agency: Influencers and Inhibitors. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The study aims to understand how transformative professional learning might be created for the positive growth of music teacher identity and sense of agency. The thesis first discusses the issues of defining music teachers’ professional identity and the assumptions that underpin current conceptions of music teacher development and learning. It reframes discussion on music teacher growth to examine the links between biography, identity and sense of agency within an overarching ecological framework. The thesis argues for a broadened definition of transformative learning as a theoretical frame for understanding and promoting the growth of music teachers. Using a two-phase, exploratory, mixed methods design, the research integrated both phenomenological and quantitative perspectives. The Phase 1 qualitative study of 12 participants revealed themes that supported transformative learning drawn from what these participants considered to be critical turning points in the development of their professional identities. The Phase 2 questionnaire study (n=168) showed the extent to which different types of music experiences, perceived music abilities and other developmental opportunities are positively or negatively associated with the perceived music teaching abilities and identity of different groups of music teachers (specialists and generalists, primary and secondary, beginning and experienced teachers). The findings suggest that transformative learning experiences were created by interactions between teachers’ personal identity, their activist identity, their music and teaching experiences, the impact of students, their social relationships, and the opportunities and pragmatic tensions afforded by the ecological nature of the social world. This ecological perspective to learning could help shift our focus from ‘What we can do for teachers’ professional development?’ to ‘What conditions could support or prevent positive transformative learning of music teachers?’. This thesis contributes to extending theoretical discussions in music teacher identity and transformative learning.

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