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KS3 Music

a professional development programme

Good practice

This part of the unit describes good practice in two of the key modelling processes:

  • thinking aloud;

  • planned use of questions (incorporating Bloom's taxonomy).

Both of these are described within the context of modelling to clarify musical conventions, processes and devices, though they can also be used in other contexts. Select each tab below in turn to examine each of these key areas and to identify good practice in critical modelling processes.

Thinking aloud

Pupils need to receive explicit information in the modelling process. This can be made more effective if modellers share ('think aloud') their actions, thoughts and feelings when demonstrating how musical styles, genres and traditions work, and how to develop musical skills.

The essential feature of this process is that it explains how the learning is to be developed – it does not simply demonstrate an outcome. It requires the teacher to articulate quite explicitly the type of thinking pupils will have to undertake in order to generate a musical outcome, how they can make informed choices or decisions as the learning develops, and why a particular step-by-step sequence of activities might lead to a successful conclusion.  

Modelling provides a good opportunity to explore difficult points (or ‘hot spots’) of learning within lessons. Talking through the complex aspects of a musical convention and showing pupils musically how such aspects can be mastered will support the pupils effectively. For this reason, ‘thinking aloud’ is often best planned in advance.

Pupils should also have opportunities to think aloud as they begin to process the information received in the modelling episode. They should be encouraged to talk about their understanding of the conventions being modelled with their peers. They should also be encouraged to ask pertinent questions of the modeller, to help consolidate understanding of the processes and devices being demonstrated.

Use Activity Resource 2a to help you understand more about the process of ‘thinking aloud’.

You could then:

 

Use of questions

When modelling conventions or specific skills, it is important to ask pupils a range of questions:

  • to check that pupils understand both the knowledge involved and the processes by which they can apply that learning in practical exploration of the music;
  • to draw pupils into the modelling process.

The use of a series of carefully planned questions with different levels of challenge engages pupils with the modelling process. Bloom’s taxonomy (Bloom and Krathwohl, 1956) is very useful in planning increasingly challenging questions. The taxonomy groups educational objectives into a hierarchical sequence according to the level of cognitive complexity involved and kind of thinking needed to meet the objectives.

Bloom’s taxonomy suggests that people first need to acquire knowledge before they can understand the knowledge. They need to understand the knowledge before they can apply it to different contexts. They need to be able to apply knowledge before they can analyse, question or infer from the knowledge. Only when they have done that can people combine different kinds of knowledge to create new knowledge.

Finally, when people are able to combine knowledge in this way, they are able to evaluate. Moving between these stages demands increasingly complex thinking on the part of the learner, but research shows that the vast majority of teachers’ questions restrict learners to the least challenging types of thinking.

Use Activity Resource 2b to see how you can use the steps in the taxonomy to plan sequences of questions that will progressively challenge and deepen pupils’ understanding.

You could then: