The purpose of this research is to explore how music teachers negotiate the boundaries between Traditional Korean Music and Western Music in the formation process of secondary music teachers’ professional identity in Korea, focusing on the inter-mus...
The purpose of this research is to explore how music teachers negotiate the boundaries between Traditional Korean Music and Western Music in the formation process of secondary music teachers’ professional identity in Korea, focusing on the inter-musicality, with implications for teachers’ professional development and curriculum implementation. The three research questions are listed below: 1) How do music teachers form their professional identity, focusing on Traditional Korean Music and Western Music? 2) How do the secondary music teachers in Korea negotiate the boundaries between Traditional Korean Music and Western Music in the formation process of professional identity? 3) What are the features of negotiating the boundaries between Traditional Korean Music and Western Music in the formation process of professional identity?
To answer the first research question, a chronological analysis was conducted to examine the formation process of secondary music teachers’ professional identity in Korea, focusing on both Traditional Korean Music and Western Music. The standards of a chronological analysis are divided into 4 periods: pre-university, pre-service music teachers, novice music teachers, and experienced teachers. The formation process of the music teachers' professional identity varies with musical experiences, training experiences for pre-service music teachers, experiences of professional development, and educational contexts. Similar patterns can be found.
First, during the pre-university period, music teachers expand their musical experience, focusing on their music major. The study revealed that music teachers who majored in Traditional Korean Music encountered the boundaries between Traditional Korean Music and Western Music earlier than music teachers who majored in Western Music. Second, during the pre-service period, music teachers expand their musical experience beyond the area of their major in music to include regions of non-music majors. During this period, music teachers who majored in Western music attempted to develop their musical competencies in Traditional Korean Music. The music teachers formed their professional identity as pre-service music teachers by developing their teaching competencies through training for pre-service music teachers. Third, novice music teachers developed their professional identity by adapting to the needs of educational contexts, whether their area of study was a major or a non-major. Lastly, experienced music teachers have deepened their expertise in music education, regardless of their major, and have pioneered new areas, depending on their teaching professionalism in both Traditional Korean Music and Western Music. Through this, they have developed their professional identity, finding their professional status as music teachers.
In terms of the second research question, four themes emerged from inductively analyzing aspects of negotiating the boundaries between Traditional Korean Music and Western Music. The four themes for the analysis result are below: 1) Expansion areas of Traditional Korean Music and Western Music, 2) Integration of musical competencies regarding Traditional Korean Music and Western Music and teaching competencies, 3) Adjustment of the ratio of Traditional Korean Music and Western Music in the implementation of the curriculum, 4) Demonstrating creativity beyond the boundaries of Traditional Korean Music and Western Music.
First, in terms of ‘the expansion areas of Traditional Korean Music and Western Music’, the music teachers face the challenges of crossing the boundaries of their musical experiences. They have also tried to expand their music teaching areas beyond the boundaries, whether their area of study was a major or a non-major. Second, in terms of ‘the Integration of musical competencies regarding Traditional Korean Music and Western Music and teaching competencies’, music teachers face the gap between musical competencies and teaching competencies, and they pursue the integration of them by trying to fill it. Third, in terms of ‘the adjustment of the ratio of Traditional Korean Music and Western Music in the implementation of the curriculum’, music teachers have faced challenges in considering the ratio of Traditional Korean Music and Western Music, and they have negotiated the boundaries by considering the ratio in a balanced way. Lastly, in terms of ‘demonstrating creativity beyond the boundaries of Traditional Korean Music and Western Music’, music teachers have crossed the boundaries of Traditional Korean Music and Western Music in creative ways, and they have negotiated the tension of the hegemony between the universality and specificity of music.
For the answer to the third research question, the results of the first and second research questions were interpreted, focusing on the 'music teachers' professional identity' and 'inter-musicality'. The features of negotiating the boundaries between Traditional Korean Music and Western Music in the formation process of professional identity are below: 1) Dynamism of the contexts, 2) The agency leading the interplay with contexts, 3) Inter-musicality as a passage for the negotiation of the boundaries, and 4) Becoming a music teacher beyond the boundaries of Traditional Korean Music and Western Music through interplay with contexts.
First, the external environmental contexts, the professional contexts, and the social contexts are working as factors of positive or negative influence. Specifically, the music educational environments, which focus on Western music and the positionality of a music subject as a non-mainstream subject, serve as a basis for forming external environmental contexts and professional contexts. Second, music teachers' agency plays an important role in negotiating the tension and conflict occurring in the interplay with various contexts. Specifically, the music teachers have formed their professional identity by activating agency in the interplay of the contexts. It's shown in a developed, restorative, and regressive way. Third, the inter-musicality plays a role as a passage that enables music teachers to negotiate the boundaries between Traditional Korean Music and Western Music, build practical knowledge, and exert creative teaching expertise. Specifically, music teachers have developed their inter-musicality based on the musical competency of Traditional Korean Music and Western Music, and they shifted their inter-musicality to practical knowledge by integrating it and teaching competency in their teaching experiences. Lastly, music teachers have formed their professional identity as music teachers by negotiating their professional place between musician and music teacher, and beyond the boundaries of their major.
Based on the results, the implications are discussed. About the development of teaching expertise and the implementation of the music curriculum, the implications are suggested below. First, music teachers should develop inter-musicality to negotiate the boundaries between Traditional Korean Music and Western Music in a balanced way, and to exert creative teaching expertise by integrating their musical experiences. Second, music teachers should strive to strike a balance between the universality and specificity of music in educational contexts by acknowledging the risk of 'Westernization' of Traditional Korean Music and by considering its unique characteristics. Third, music teachers should reconsider the concept of universalism in music and suggest connections between the universality and the specificity of music for students. Fourth, music teachers should utilize the technology to help students express their musical competencies beyond the boundaries of traditional Korean Music and Western Music.
The implications for supporting the development of teaching expertise are also suggested. In terms of support for the external environmental contexts, suggestions are listed below: 1) the importance of the music subject in the national curriculum policy, 2) the importance of Traditional Korean Music as a traditional heritage in the document of the music curriculum, and 3) the necessity of a foundation for positive change of the educational environment for Traditional Korean Music are suggested. In terms of support for the professional contexts, suggestions are listed below: 1) the importance of providing the contexts and supporting participation for music teachers' professional development, 2) the importance of supporting to building of the music educational environments for activating the music teachers' expertise, and 3) the importance of providing programs for pre-service music teachers balancing musical and teaching competencies.