What happens in school music in Norway? Findings from a national survey of music teachers

Abstract

This article reports on a survey of Norwegian compulsory school music teachers, in which 293 teachers from 239 schools participated. In addition to providing demographic information, the teachers were asked what kinds of music their students listened to, sang, played, and created during lessons, and what activities this music was part of. We explore this material with respect to which forms of activities were included and how they were distributed, how the activities were related to teacher characteristics, what forms of participation the activities allowed for, and how this participation relates to broader societal patterns. The findings show that a broad palette of activities was implemented, but also that teachers with less formal competence in music chose activities that allowed for broader participation than their more musically specialised colleagues. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of refraction, we interpret this as the latter being loyal to the logic of the art field.