Professionalise or perish. A case for heightened educational quality through collegiate cooperation

Abstract

This article argues for the necessity of developing a professional jargon among music teachers; a collegiate discourse in which musically and artistically relevant aspects of music-making and music education are continuously addressed and cultivated in order to improve the quality of music education on all educational levels. As a point of departure, the author presents findings from his doctoral thesis which suggest that music teachers may be unaccustomed to discussing the sounding aspects of music and that they have low confidence in their didactical efficacy. Drawing from different fields of research, some prerequisites for a reform of music teachers’ collegiate discourse are sketched out. However difficult it may be to talk about music in a musically relevant way, it is contended that a living, evolving professional collegiate discourse on musical and music-didactical issues is a prerequisite for general progress within music education, for fair and equal assessment and marking in schools and for the establishment of a strong music teacher profession with the capacity to argue successfully for music as an essential part of public education. Keywords: collegiate discourse, professionalisation, conceptions of quality, criteria