A Reflective Lens: Music Pedagogical Research to Transform Practice | Page 26

Co-operative Learning Structure in Group Music Composition

Sometimes when I made a mistake, my
group mates did not scold me. They tried to
understand and encourage me because…
everyone makes mistakes.
[Student J, Interview]

We learn that not everybody can play
everything. We need to put in our best… doing
the most suitable role to help the group.
[Student B, Interview]

Enhancement of Students’ Musical Understanding
The beauty of group work, that allows students to work
towards a common goal, is the opportunity to learn from
one another.
Peer Coaching
There was notable evidence that students who were
musically-inclined added value to their group mates’
learning. For example, in Group 1, Student B, the most
musical person in the group, always helped her group
mates to keep the beat by tapping or gesturing the
beat. She even coached Student C in playing the bordun
accompaniment correctly as he had the tendency to lose
time. When he played the 4/4 rhythmic ostinato and came
to the last beat which was a rest, he had a tendency to
speed up during the rest and not keep to the rhythm.
Student B had to gesture the rest to him. Similarly, in Group
2, there were many instances when Student G, the most
musical person in the group, corrected her peers during the
process. Every time Student I played the rhythm wrongly

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