Instrumental small-group teaching as a democratic endeavour

This study concerns democracy in education examined through the lens of small-group instrumental teaching. Traditionally, one-to-one teaching in a master–apprentice approach has been the established norm for instrumental teaching and the same model has long characterised instrumental teaching in Sweden’s art and music schools (SAMSs, kulturskolor ). 1 However, although individual teaching is still the norm, group teaching is becoming more common on the grounds that it reduces costs, fees, and waiting lists while meeting children’s social needs. In this context, a “small group” is defined here as four to five pupils who are only taught as a group and have no individual teaching. Although these children are learning to play classical Western instruments, the music they play is a mix of genres, including folk, blues, and children’s songs. Although musical development is one of the main objectives, there are also social aspects to group teaching. Therefore, this case study explores how three instrumental music teachers at one SAMS manage the social potential of their small-group teaching practices and their strategies to enhance social inclusion. Democracy in an educational context is a complex, multifaceted concept that requires careful definition and implementation. As a starting point for further research, this study maps the relationships between concepts such as “social inclusion,” “sense of belonging,” and “child-centred teaching” and their significance in the context of democratic education. Even though social inclusion is often referred to in debates about unequal access, in the research reported in this article, it is understood as pupils feeling socially included in the group.