ICT and music education: a study examining the digital literacy of secondary school music teachers

The embedding of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the curriculum places pressures on music teachers from a number of perspectives. These include acquiring an understanding of the operation, affordance and creative applications of technology in addition to possessing an ability to effectively integrate technology into both existing and new educational contexts. Fundamental to successful implementation is the possession of ICT literacy. The drive behind ICT may come via curricula changes, projects (including funding programs), teacher initiatives or from the student cohort themselves. The Australian National Review of School Music Education (Australian Government Department of Education Science and Training, 2005) emphasized the position of technology in the music curriculum and indicated that music educators need to empower themselves with the necessarily skills to support their practices. While the integration of ICT into a curriculum may be well documented, less attention is often given to issues associated with implementation. One such issue may lie in the need for educators to "empower" themselves, adapting their teaching practices to an ever-changing technological landscape. It may also challenge an educators musical ethos to embrace new forms of music making practices involving technology. This paper reports on a study that examined a small cohort of New South Wales (NSW) secondary school music teachers and assessed their attitudes towards technology in addition to their perceived level of ICT literacy in both personal and work contexts. The study was undertaken at the conclusion of an online music technology training course and provides a brief insight into the thinking of a group of music teachers who are practically pursuing ICT in their teaching practices. The study exhibited a moderately high level of overall digital literacy and a willingness to adopt new technologies, but it also indicated the existence of disconnect between the use of technology in personal contexts and that of the music classroom. The research supports the need for additional investigation into the ICT literacy of music educators with view to improving the quality of teaching and learning in school music classrooms