Birmingham Music Education Research Group invite you to a free research webinar presented by music teacher Alison Butler titled: Same game, different position: reflecting on experiences in the subfield of school music education as a researcher and as a secondary school teacher.
What is this event all about?
Alison Butler is a music teacher at Diss High School in Norfolk, who holds a PhD from Western University, Canada, where she studied from 2015-19. Her thesis applied Bourdieu’s concepts of doxa (unwritten rules) and illusio (belief in the game being played) to the analysis of English secondary school music departments. Alison’s other research interests include music talent reality television, informal learning and popular music education, and the use of charisma and labelling theory in the classroom.
This seminar focuses on Alison’s findings from her thesis, drawing on case study research undertaken in two English secondary schools. Using Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice (1977), Alison presents pupil and teacher perceptions of music education in their own schools, highlighting the ‘unwritten rules’ in the national field of music education and their application or disruption in school music department subfields.
Alison will also reflect on how she applies the findings from her thesis, and her PhD skills and knowledge more generally, now that she has returned to the secondary classroom as a full-time teacher. Alison’s presentation will be followed by a Q&A and discussion chaired by Senior Research Fellow, Dr Victoria Kinsella.
What to expect…
This seminar is organised by the Birmingham Music Education Research Group. BMERG’s seminars promote the discussion of culture and practice across educational settings with a focus on music education. You can expect a presentation that will provoke thinking, followed by a stimulating discussion with opportunities to ask questions.
Please click HERE to register for the webinar.