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Learner agency: To understand and to be understood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2009

Deborah V. Blair
Deborah V. Blair*
Affiliation:
Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA dvblair@oakland.edu
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Abstract

What began as an exploration of student learning while listening to music evolved into a study of learner agency in a music classroom. Whilst students used and developed strategies that enabled their own success while listening to, performing and creating music, it became evident that they were proactively seeking musical understanding and growth in their own musicianship. Their intense desire to share their musical ideas and to be valued for their role in the music learning community within the classroom illustrated the learners’ agency for affirmation and valuing of self and others. These qualities are closely connected to the zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1978) and perezhivanie (Mahn & John-Steiner, 2000, 2002; Mahn, 2003). As educators may seek to enable students to grow in conceptual understanding (competence) and self-efficacy (confidence), a reflexive relationship occurs as students, too, seek to grow in musicianship (competence) and to be valued for who they are (confidence).

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Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Music Education , Volume 26 , Issue 2 , July 2009 , pp. 173 - 187
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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