Students' experiences of studying music in small groups

The transition to the group instruction in teaching to play music has created a need to understand the significance of the group in connection with studying to play music. What kind of significance do the students in the class teachers' adult education give to the group in connection with studying to play music? The aim of this study is to describe and to understand the significance given to the small group by teacher students in connection with studying to play to music, learning in small groups and the challenges and possibilities brought on by the group learning to the pedagogics. The material of the study consists of 17 students' writings. The writings have been created as answers to the open questions which the students were asked to answer before the beginning of their studies and then when they ended. The method of analysing the material was qualitative content analysis. The teacher students perceived playing music and accompaniment as a natural part of their work as a teacher. Studying to play music in the small groups supports learning and enables the members to learn from each other. The group makes it possible to play in ensemble, which is preparation for the teacher's work and playing music in the class. A good atmosphere and homogeneous groups were seen as preconditions for good group learning. The challenge of the group instruction is differentiation. Students are required to take more responsibility for their learning than in individual teaching. It is necessary to develop pedagogy, which further enables the more versatile utilisation of the possibilities of the group. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.