Characteristics of teaching music in preschool: The written descriptions of Swedish preschool teachers and principals

The study investigates how Swedish kindergarten teachers and pedagogical leaders describe music teaching in kindergarten through written reflections. The researchers aim to identify key features of music teaching, such as methodology, content and educational principles. The research question is: What can characterise teaching in kindergarten with a focus on music from a didactic perspective?

The researchers drew five conclusions from the answers they received: 1) A weak grounding in music theory and/or musical methodology reveals a lack in kindergarten teachers’ use of research as a basis for teaching. 2) Music is perceived as a means rather than an end, which over time may weaken music as content. 3) Words such as ‘experience’ and ‘challenges’ occur so rarely that it indicates that children are not being challenged in music teaching. 4) The music subject as form and ‘doing’ (activity) is a strong tendency, possibly at the expense of artistic and scientific aspects. 5) Digital opportunities are downplayed, which may result in children missing out on creating music that can be reproduced and being introduced to musical instruments that are generally not available in kindergartens. The researchers collectively encourage increased reflection on alternative ways to teach music in kindergarten, which includes music teaching driven by a child’s right to music for the sake of music and based on research and music didactics, focusing on the art and science of music.

As part of a research project, researchers sent out a questionnaire in which Swedish kindergarten teachers and pedagogical leaders were asked what they thought characterised music teaching. 277 kindergarten teachers and 97 pedagogical leaders from 18 different kindergartens responded to the questionnaire, which was carried out in 2016 and 2018. The written responses were subject to a qualitative analysis.

Holmberg, Y., & Roth, A. C. V. (2022). Characteristics of teaching music in preschool: The written descriptions of Swedish preschool teachers and principals. The Finnish Journal of Music Education, 25(1), 29–52.