The characterisation of a problematising and activist music pedagogy : Experiences in music teacher education from Chile

Abstract

Activism in music education involves supporting music teachers to become change agents, taking on the challenge of overcoming social oppression through the encouragement of humanising awareness. This study aimed to characterise the development of activism in student teachers who attend music teacher education programmes. Holistic Architecture for Music Education was applied, using an exploratory design through the implementation of reflective practice workshops in Chilean music teacher education programmes. The results showed that student teachers developed activism through the encouragement of human rights music education, which principally promotes practical knowledge, agency focused on social change, and participation in professional coalitions. In conclusion, student teachers became change agents, as they started to publicly question different aspects of music education and provide humanising suggestions for overcoming social oppression.