TY - BOOK
T1 - Investigating the viability of a national accreditation system for Australian piano teachers
AU - McMillan, Jan
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - The Federal education system has 12 nationally accredited and portable qualifications issued by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) which cover three sectors; Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Schools. A mandatory minimum bachelor qualification together with education units, state registration and ongoing professional development is imposed for all classroom music teachers. In direct contrast, however, Australian studio piano teachers and school instrumental teachers may or may not have formal qualifications, registration with professional associations, or ongoing professional development. All teachers must be registered with State registration boards for Working With Children (WWC) but no monitoring controls exist for studio teachers. Qualifications are available from public examination boards, private enterprises and state Music Teacher Associations (MTAs) but these are not recognised within the national system and consequently have no status or portability, although they are used and recommended within the industry and higher education institutions as course prerequisites. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether a National Accreditation System (NAS) for Australian studio piano teachers could be a viable system, adding unprecedented professionalism to the field and drawing upon the existing systems of government, private industry and educational institutions. In the thesis, current systems of accreditation, education and training available for classroom music teachers, school instrumental music teachers and other recognised professions such as lawyers, engineers, accountants, health professionals and sports coaches were reviewed as a comparative basis upon which to assess similar contexts for studio piano teachers. Results are combined with a survey of Australian piano teachers' perceptions, from which the study ascertained the extent to which studio piano teachers' needs were being catered for and met in available systems of accreditation and training.
AB - The Federal education system has 12 nationally accredited and portable qualifications issued by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) which cover three sectors; Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Schools. A mandatory minimum bachelor qualification together with education units, state registration and ongoing professional development is imposed for all classroom music teachers. In direct contrast, however, Australian studio piano teachers and school instrumental teachers may or may not have formal qualifications, registration with professional associations, or ongoing professional development. All teachers must be registered with State registration boards for Working With Children (WWC) but no monitoring controls exist for studio teachers. Qualifications are available from public examination boards, private enterprises and state Music Teacher Associations (MTAs) but these are not recognised within the national system and consequently have no status or portability, although they are used and recommended within the industry and higher education institutions as course prerequisites. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether a National Accreditation System (NAS) for Australian studio piano teachers could be a viable system, adding unprecedented professionalism to the field and drawing upon the existing systems of government, private industry and educational institutions. In the thesis, current systems of accreditation, education and training available for classroom music teachers, school instrumental music teachers and other recognised professions such as lawyers, engineers, accountants, health professionals and sports coaches were reviewed as a comparative basis upon which to assess similar contexts for studio piano teachers. Results are combined with a survey of Australian piano teachers' perceptions, from which the study ascertained the extent to which studio piano teachers' needs were being catered for and met in available systems of accreditation and training.
KW - Accreditation
KW - Standards
KW - Australia
KW - Piano
KW - Instruction and study
KW - Methods
KW - Piano teachers
KW - Certification
KW - Vocational qualifications
KW - Training
KW - Piano teaching
M3 - Doctoral Thesis
ER -