Introduction

An important final consideration when examining the effectiveness of feedback within music is the full range of people who have the opportunities to influence the decision making of pupils inside and outside of the classroom. The most obvious people would be the teacher, peers, support assistants, technicians, peripatetic instrumental teachers and visiting artists or musicians from the community.

The confidence of a pupil to deal with musical concepts and skills is likely to be influenced by all of these people and a key aspect of independent learning is how the pupil recognises and learns to accept the support that is best focused on helping them achieve their learning outcomes. One way to help pupils with these complex interrelationships is to make them responsible for their own learning, empowering them to realise the focus for their own improvement and relate this to the people offering advice and support.

The difficulty facing the teacher is that he or she is mostly unaware of the feedback that pupils receive from other sources, and is uncertain of the quality and the long lasting effects that the feedback might have. Sharing the focus for improvement with the full range of people is an overwhelming task.

However, teachers can begin to support those who offer feedback to pupils in a variety of ways, which are described in each of the following tabbed sections.

Teaching assistants

Teaching assistants can often be an underused resource. They live the lessons with the children and often enjoy immersing themselves into the musical challenge with pupils. They have a very immediate and key role supporting and advising pupils as to the next steps with their learning, and with a little help and guidance from the teacher, can have a huge influence on a pupil’s learning opportunities. It is often possible to acknowledge with the teaching assistants that not only can they offer oral and written feedback, but aural too. Teachers can support teaching assistants by:

• sharing the medium-term and short-term planning with them, allowing them to prepare (thoughts, activities, etc.) for the lesson;
• encouraging and building their confidence so that they will feel able to offer feedback to pupils;
• discussing the need not to intervene too soon, allowing pupils time to explore their ideas;
• encouraging them to ask questions about the decisions pupils have made;
• providing opportunities for them to discuss the progress made by pupils.

Working together: teaching assistants and assessment for learning (DCSF 1099-2005 G) helps teaching assistants develop their role to support teachers promote and embed good practice within assessment for learning (AfL).

Visiting teachers

Visiting instrumental and vocal teachers can contribute very effectively in the classroom, not just as performers or modellers but also as key providers of feedback that enhances the understanding of pupils in various aspects of the music curriculum. In situations where the class teacher lacks expertise on a specific instrument and is finding it difficult to move pupils on in their learning, the instrumental teacher can often be the obvious person for that role. Teachers can work with instrumental and vocal music teachers by:

• sharing unit outcomes with them and encouraging them to refer to these outcomes with pupils;
• inviting them into the classroom to offer feedback on aspects of the music curriculum for which they have particular skills (performing, composing, listening or reviewing and evaluating);
• communicating (for example via a two-way message slip or proforma) the extent of progression made by instrumentalists towards their targets and using the information in feedback.

Technicians

Technology has a major influence on the way music is taught today and this can lead to the need for technical support. Technicians will often be able to offer the teacher invaluable support with the setting up and operation of systems from computer-based resources to amplification and recording devices. The technician might also be the most appropriate person to offer very specific types of feedback to pupils (e.g. on sequencer operation, use of microphones and recording equipment). Teachers can support technicians by:

• inviting them into the classroom during lessons so that they have an opportunity to witness pupils using music technology;
• sharing expected learning outcomes so that the technicians can extend pupils’ knowledge and use of music technology;
• encouraging them to support pupils so that the pupils can set up and use their equipment more effectively;
• monitoring the effectiveness of pupils’ feedback by providing opportunities for technicians to discuss their input.

Visiting artists

This part of the unit supports the references made to the use of external musicians in Unit 4: Modelling in music – where it is suggested that the musicians have several roles when they perform in school. They will be seen as role models that excite, inspire and engage pupils but also as experts who will be able to offer guidance to help others improve the quality of their work. It is important, therefore, that external musicians are given the opportunity to give feedback to pupils on aspects of their work in classroom or workshop opportunities.

Teachers can support visiting musicians by:

• sharing with them the learning outcomes of pupils in their classroom work;
• developing open dialogue with, and observation of, pupils on a related compositional or performing challenge;
• offering advice by demonstrating or modelling good techniques or practice and allowing pupils the chance to act upon that feedback.