Family musicking as a tool for fostering the identity of immigrant families with young children in Iceland
Adam Switala, PhD student, School of Education UI and Helga Rut Guðmundsdóttir, professor, School of Education UI
The purpose of this research project is to build on a popular method for family music classes developed in Iceland and adapt it to the language, culture, and traditional music of the Polish and Ukrainian immigrant populations. Further, the aim is to broaden the current state of knowledge of social integration and well-being of immigrant families. A Polish language version of the method was launched in the fall of 2019 and the Ukrainian version will be led by native Ukrainian-speaking teachers. This approach will be described in further detail. The study uses mixed methods including questionnaires and semi-structured parent interviews analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The respondents emphasized the importance of attending events in the native language with their children for cultivating culture and traditions of their home country, albeit no correlation was found between their previous participation in cultural events in Iceland and Icelandic language proficiency. The opportunity to establish new and cultivate existing friendships, and the opportunity to foster social skills of the children, were brought up as the main benefits from the program. The Polish participants observed a link between the classes and the children’s daily use of their native language, as well as ability to memorise Polish traditional songs and rhymes. The participating families continued to use the Tónagull activities in their daily routine during the covid-period when in-person classes could not be held and perceived them as useful tools for parenting. Discussions will include the difference between language-specific music methods versus non-language specific methods.
The Concept of the Faroese in Music Education – Negotiating Identity and Notions of Tradition
Knút Háberg Eysturstein, doktorsnemi, Fróðskaparsetur Føroya/University of the Faroe Islands
This is an introductory presentation and reflection on the PhD project which will be undertaken by Knút Háberg Eysturstein at University of the Faroe Islands starting in September 2022. The project’s main objective is to examine how notions of tradition are negotiated in curriculums in a music educational context. In order to do this the project must both discuss the concept of the Faroese as it pertains to music, i.e., the role of notions of tradition and identity, and uncover how music education is practiced in the Faroes educational system. Therefore, this project will be done as a two-part study. First, a theoretical part will construct the conceptual map of the project including key terms, concepts and theory which will be further outlined in a literature review. Second, an interview part where the project leader will conduct qualitative in-depth interviews both individually and in focus groups with teachers and musicians selected across age and gender groups on the issues of negotiation between traditional music and contemporary approaches to music education and practice. The interviewees’ answers will then be subjected to theoretical analysis, interpretation and reflection based on the conceptual map put forth in the first part of the project. These questions and matters will furthermore be discussed, analyzed and put to the test through lectures, seminars and workshops at the University of the Faroe Islands and at relevant institutions abroad.
„Mér finnst miklu skemmtilegra að nota ímyndunaraflið. Þá er maður frjáls“ Austur-Vestur verkefnið á þriðja ári.
Svanborg R. Jónsdóttir, prófessor, MVS HÍ, Skúlína Kjartansdóttir, aðjúnkt, MVS HÍ, Svala Jónsdóttir lektor, MVS HÍ, Svava Pétursdóttir, lektor, MVS HÍ og Torfi Hjartarson, lektor, MVS HÍ
Þriggja ára þróunarverkefnið Austur-Vestur – Sköpunar- og tæknismiðjur í Ingunnarskóla, Vesturbæjarskóla og Selásskóla hófst vorið 2019. Tilgangur verkefnisins er að bregðast við ákalli skólasamfélagsins um námsumhverfi sem eflir atbeina nemenda og stuðlar að aukinni færni þeirra til nýsköpunar. Leitast er við að þróa kennsluhætti í takt við nýja tíma, ýta undir fjölbreytni, nýta upplýsingatækni, auka samþættingu námsgreina og tengja viðfangsefni við daglegt líf til að vekja áhuga og efla fjölbreytta færni. Rannsakendur frá rannsóknarstofunum RASK og RANNUM á Menntavísindasviði HÍ hafa sinnt ráðgjöf við skólana og hafa safnað gögnum um þróunarstarfið öll þrjú árin og nýtt niðurstöður til ráðgjafar. Í mars og apríl 2022 voru skólarnir heimsóttir, tekin rýnihópaviðtöl við kennarateymi og nemendahópa. Í þessu erindi verður greint frá niðurstöðum úr greiningu gagnanna sem safnað var í vor. Fyrstu niðurstöður sýna að nemendur kannast við sköpunarsmiðjur og finnst gaman að verkefnum sem kennarar velja. Þeim gefast tækifæri til að útfæra verkefnin eftir eigin höfði og nota ímyndunaraflið. Áhugi kennara á sköpunarsmiðjum er mismikill en afstaða flestra kennara til þróunarstarfsins jákvæð. Við alla þátttökuskóla og á öllum aldursstigum eru hópar eða teymi kennara sem sýna verkefninu mikinn áhuga, hafa lagt sig fram um að tileinka sér tækni, þróa kennsluhugmyndir sem kenna má við sköpunarsmiðjur og leggja fyrir nemendur verkefni sem reyna á sköpun með hjálp tækni. Lýst er áhuga á að dýpka smiðjuverkefni og ýta á markvissari hátt undir lausnaleit og ígrundaða sköpun. Höfundar álykta að mikilvægt sé að viðhalda þeim góða árangri sem hefur náðst þó verkefninu sé lokið.