Interpreting and Applying Grading Criteria in Music Education : Five Music Teachers Experiences and Strategies

The key theme of this study is to explore how music teachers in Swedish compulsory schools understand and interpret the current national curriculum Lgr22 as well as, to a certain degree, the prior curriculums Lpo94 and Lgr11. The main method for data collection is semi-structured interviews where five music teachers have been interviewed. The hermeneutic theory, along with chosen elements of thematic analysis have formed the basis for analysis of the data. A key model within the hermeneutic theory is the hermeneutic circle which illustrates the relationship between parts and the whole. The model shows the process of interpretation and creation of understanding within a specific area and this has permeated the analysis process along with principles from thematic analysis. The results of this study shows that the main interpretation takes place within collegial contexts with the goal of creating a shared view of the curriculum. The study also shows that the music teachers to varying extents choose to use the curriculum during lessons. Furthermore, the findings show that the five music teachers to a large degree interpret the curriculum in the same way. The way that the music teachers describe what knowledge and skills correspond to the different grading criteria is for the most part similar. This then leads into a discussion where the key points are sorted into four themes. These themes are based on the key findings and then compared to prior research in hopes to answer the research questions for this study.