Musikk og tilpasset opplæring – om å kunne spille på flere strenger. Et blikk på musikalitet, multiple intelligenser og læringsoverføring

Abstract

Music and adaptation – a matter of differentiation Adaptation for individual differences is a core principle in the national curriculum in Norway. The article refers to studies that claim that differentiation should be closely associated with the principle of adaptation. With music as a point of departure, the article investigates some of the opportunities for differentiation that may be found in the intersection between music, language, and mathematics. This is approached through concepts of intelligence and subintelligence, as found in the theory of multiple intelligences. – The discussion builds upon results from experimental psychological research stating that a particular subintelligence typical for musical ability may also be a subintelligence in mathematics or language. The article also points to the fact that some of the skills associated with a particular school subject may also be found in other school subjects. Discussions of these findings are based on central thoughts from the theory of “transfer of learning”. A basic principle in this theory is that all forms of learning depend on transfer and application of knowledge and skills from one context to another. – Based on these conditions, the article concludes that a mutual cooperation across school subjects is important for learning and cognitive development, as well as for adaptation and differentiation. Keywords: differentiation, musical ability, multiple intelligence, transfer of learning