Rhythm learning through body engagement: research in and for primary school practice

Abstract

Primary teachers use varied approaches when doing rhythm activities with students, where body engagement plays an important role (Bremmer, 2015; Young, 1992). Research in embodied music cognition and music pedagogy shows that movements influence our perception of musical structures and can facilitate music learning (Phillips-Silver & Trainor, 2005). Clear reference descriptions and structures that ensure progress whilst students transition from corporality to rhythmicity are identified (Giglio, 2018). However, according to teachers’ training, professional and personal experiences, comfort levels during rhythm activities differ greatly, especially between generalist and specialist music teachers (Joliat, 2011; Chatelain & Moor, 2021). This contribution aims to re-examine practitioner research concerning different aspects of body engagement in rhythm learning (Giglio, Chatelain & Moor, 2020; Chatelain, Giglio & Moor, 2020; Moor, Giglio & Chatelain, 2020), with the purpose of drawing conclusions for teacher-training course content. The methodology includes video-recording three to four lessons per teacher in two classrooms of six to eight-year-olds over a period of 6 months. The three teachers involved (two generalists and one specialist) discuss significant extracts during self-confrontation interviews following each lesson (Clot, Fernandez & Scheller, 2007). The verbatims and videos are analysed using systematic coding (Jacobs, Kawanaka, & Stigler, 1999). The results show how teachers and students favour bodily experience during rhythm activities, for example by creating embodied routines and enhancing fluid transitions during the lesson. Generalist and specialist teachers have different but complementary knowledge. To conclude, body engagement in rhythm learning is at a crossroads between practitioners’ musical knowledge, professional knowledge and personal experience. The complementarity of this knowledge and experience should be underlined during generalist teacher training to promote confidence when creating routines and embodying musical concepts. An argument is made for supporting co-training or cooperative practice situations, which mutually enrich generalist and specialist teachers.