Problem-based learning, composing and assessment in music education: action-research in a portuguese school

This article presents a study conducted in a Portuguese school over the course of an academic year, led by a teacher-researcher in an eighth grade music class (average of 13 years old). The study also involved the participation of two other schoolteachers for the implementation of a supervised activity. It is problematised whether the intersection of Problem-Based Learning and composition in an authentic assessment approach, constitutes a conceptual and pedagogical pathway for the development of critical, creative, and holistic thinking, as well as cooperation and the assessment of learning. The researcher conducted interviews with pupils and teachers, following an action-research approach. The results indicated possibilities for teaching focused on learning through composition and cooperative work, including a shared assessment within this framework. The benefits reflected the development of musical, creative, social, and problem-solving skills, while the constraints were linked to the pupils' adaptation to the planned strategies and the complexity of learning assessment. The implications of the study lie in the possibility of adapting the conceptual/organisational framework to other pedagogical contexts and addressing additional assessment criteria.