The relationship between musical development and social inclusion in small-group instrumental teaching

Sweden’s art and music schools (SAMS), established in the 1940s, provideaffordable extra-curricular instrumental and singing teaching for everychild, regardless of their family’s financial situation. Tuition is heavilysubsidised, with families contributing only some 7% of the cost. WhileSAMS traditionally offer one-to-one instruction, a recent governmentalreport (2016) advocates for group teaching, emphasising child-centeredness and social aspects; however, there are still concerns aboutthe potential decline in musical proficiency. To better understand thecomplex factors that influence pupils’ development and inclusion in groupteaching contexts, I address teachers’ perceptions of group teaching, seenthrough the theoretical lens of communities of musical practice, and aqualitative content analysis using the data from both a focus groupinterview study and a stimulated recall study with teachers and leaders atone SAMS. I have found that while teachers perceive musical developmentand social inclusion as distinct, they strive to integrate both in theirteaching, with the argument that they can be mutually beneficial. Thepotential risks and benefits of the suggested strategies for differentiationmust be considered, and each teacher’s didactic choices are key forcreating an optimal learning environment for all pupils.