Group cooperation, inclusion and disaffected pupils: some responses to informal learning in the music classroom



Written version of RIME paper (GCID) for MER, Exeter 2007

-Is that the start as well?

-No it’s not. That bit (inaudible as drums and CD are being played loud) ... at
the start, at the very start.

CD is abruptly turned off.

-You don’t have to do all of it. Just-

-Why do you keep stopping it?

-I just - because they wanted to do the other bit, I just (inaudible) do the piano
bit by ourselves.

-Why can’t everyone just do the beginning bit?

-Eh?

-Why can’t everyone just do the beginning bit?

-Because you got to have three (inaudible), you need three parts in it.

Track plays with drums.

The performance itself, which took place at the end of the lesson, started off with a
keyboard playing along with the CD; then the drums entered forcefully with an up-
beat figure ending with a cymbal crash. Three voices entered later, arranged as lead
and backing vocals.

As mentioned, in other contexts I have examined how the groups got to such a
point in relation to musical skills and knowledge, and the role of the teacher in
helping them to do so. But today, the main questions that I wish to focus on concern
group cooperation and inclusion. They are: in what ways did pupils, such as these
girls and others, cooperate together in their groups; to what extent were pupils with
different abilities and experiences able to be included in the activities; and what kinds
of responses came from those who were identified as disaffected within the school
generally?

Group cooperation in the classroom

Educational researchers distinguish many different types of classroom groupings.2 At
one extreme, pupils may be merely sitting together in groups whilst each works on
their own individual task. Such a setting is, therefore, not really
group learning as
such. At the opposite extreme, every member of a group is integrally involved in a



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