Student-Centered Pedagogies in the Singapore Music Classroom: A Case Study on Collaborative Composition - Paper Article

Oct 15, 2026

This article examines student-centered education in a music classroom through collaborative composition activities in Singapore. It presents a case in which a Primary 5 teacher implements a collaborative composition lesson using Gamelan Beleganjur, a traditional Balinese music style. After outlining lesson structure, the study analyzes teacher interviews, classroom interactions supported by pictures, and transcriptions of students’ compositions. Findings argue that lesson design and the teacher’s genuine interest in students’ musical ideas foster collaboration, creativity, and student-centricity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Towards Student-Centered Education: The Case of Music Education in Singapore

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 43 | Issue 11 | Article 1 | | --- | --- | | 2018
Student-Centered Pedagogies in the Singapore Music Classroom: A Case Study on Collaborative Composition
ALFREDO BAUTISTA
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, [alfredo.bautista.arellano@gmail.com](alfredo.bautista.arellano@gmail.com)
Guo-Zheng TOH
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, [tohguozheng6@outlook.com](tohguozheng6@outlook.com)
Zid-Niel MANCENIDO
HARVARD UNIVERSITY, [mancenido@g.harvard.edu](mancenido@g.harvard.edu)
Joanne WONG
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, [joanne.wong@nie.edu.sg](joanne.wong@nie.edu.sg) | | Recommended Citation BAUTISTA, A., TOH, G., MANCENIDO, Z., & WONG, J. (2018). Student-Centered Pedagogies in the Singapore Music Classroom: A Case Study on Collaborative Composition. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43 (11). Retrieved from [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss11/1](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss11/1) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss11/1](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss11/1) Australian Journal of Teacher Education Student-Centered Pedagogies in the Singapore Music Classroom: A Case Study on Collaborative Composition Alfredo Bautista 1 Guo-Zheng Toh National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) Zid-Niel Mancenido Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University (United States of America) Joanne Wong National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) Abstract: This article responds to recent calls for situated examples of student-centered education. Our goal is to illustrate what student centered pedagogies may look like in the music education classroom, particularly in the context of collaborative composition activities. The sample case presented features a Primary 5 Singaporean music teacher implementing a collaborative composition lesson on Gamelan Beleganjur, a traditional music style from Bali (Indonesia). After describing the structure of the lesson, we analyze data from teacher interviews, classroom interactions (illustrated with pictures), and transcriptions of students’ compositions. We argue that the content and design of the lesson itself, as well as the teacher’s genuine interest in exploring students’ musical ideas and fostering collaboration and creativity, led to the enactment of student-centricity. Our ultimate aim is to provide an additional resource that might inspire music educators (both specialists and generalists) in embracing student-centered education in their classrooms. Introduction Towards Student-Centered Education: The Case of Music Education in Singapore The importance of offering new generations of learners a student-centered education has been one of the most commonly emphasized themes in educational reforms around the world (McKinsey & Company, 2007; OECD, 2014). After decades of rigid content-focused, teacherdirected didactic methods, teachers ofall education levels and subject matters have been encouraged to enact student-centered pedagogies in the classroom, placing the learner at the heart of teaching processes and orchestrating instruction around students’ ideas, interests, and needs. Underlying this international push towards student-centricity has been increased empirical evidence demonstrating its positive effects on a variety of outcomes. Indeed, compelling studies 1 Corresponding Author: Dr Alfredo Bautista. Assistant Dean, Professional Learning | Research Scientist & Lecturer. Nanyang Technological University-National Institute of Education. Center for Research in Child Development. 1 Nanyang Walk. NIE5-B3-23. Singapore [637616]. Phone: (+65) 6790 3208. Email: [alfredo.bautista.arellano@gmail.com](alfredo.bautista.arellano@gmail.com) Vol 43, 11, November 2018 1 Australian Journal of Teacher Education have shown that the adopt

FAQs

What is the article’s main focus?

The article focuses on what student-centered pedagogies look like in music education, especially through collaborative composition activities.

What classroom case is presented?

A Primary 5 Singaporean teacher implements a collaborative composition lesson using Gamelan Beleganjur, a traditional music style from Bali (Indonesia).

How do the authors support their argument about student-centricity?

They describe the lesson structure and analyze data from teacher interviews, classroom interactions, and transcriptions of students’ compositions.

Oct 15, 2026

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