Written version of RIME paper (GCID) for MER, Exeter 2007
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sometimes better at getting inside each others’ ‘zones of proximal development’, to
use Vygotskian terminology, than teachers are.
Very importantly, not only those being taught, but those doing the teaching
benefited. There is evidence from a range of research that the act of teaching can
enhance learning for the peer teacher him or herself (see e.g. Slavin 1995).
Leadership
Both group learning and peer-directed learning involved, in most groups, an amount
of leadership by one or more members of the group. One interesting issue was that
teachers expressed surprise about the extent to which leaders emerged in many
groups. Furthermore, teachers were often surprised that the particular individuals who
emerged as leaders were, in many cases, ones who had not previously shown
themselves to be either able or willing to participate successfully or enthusiastically in
music lessons, and who were not expected to help each other.
I will now illustrate this through a little story relating to one pupil.
Immediately before the project started, Hana was described by her Head of Music as a
‘madam’, with ‘an attitude’ and someone who would be likely to cause trouble. In the
previous two years at the school she had achieved little or nothing in music lessons,
and had shown no signs of ability or interest. Hana described herself as having been a
troublemaker. She referred to music as ‘a load of rubbish’. All she could remember
about previous lessons was worksheets.
-Hana: The reason I remember about worksheets is because I was always in
isolation in music because I hated it that bad, I always got kicked out of it
[laughter]. Until this year...
Now here she is participating in group work, in a field-recording from the
fourth lesson of the project. Note how her leadership is not disputed by others in the
group; and how she and another girl, Kimberley, who also displays leadership, work
constructively alongside each other rather than battling against each other.
(General noise is going on. Hana tries to quieten everybody down:)