What is this research about, and why is it needed?
Teaching Music in the Digital Age is a national research study exploring how instrumental and vocal teachers are using digital technologies in one-to-one and small-group music lessons across the UK.
The research combines two phases:
- A nationwide online survey (for instrumental and vocal teachers)
- A series of interviews with selected teachers, students, and parents
Together, these provide a detailed and balanced view of how digital tools are shaping instrumental and vocal teaching and learning today.
What does the study aim to understand?
The study aims to understand:
- How teachers are using digital tools such as apps, online platforms, recordings, and virtual teaching
- The challenges and opportunities digital technology brings to instrumental and vocal teaching
- How students and parents experience and support music learning at home
- What kinds of support and training teachers may need as technology continues to evolve
Despite the growing role of technology in education, there is currently very little research that looks closely at how it is being used in real-world instrumental and vocal teaching.
This study helps to:
- Understand how digital tools help or hinder instrumental and vocal education
- Reflect the voices of those at the heart of music learning: teachers, students, and families
- Inform future training, policy, and practice
- Contribute to a more inclusive and evidence-based understanding of instrumental and vocal teaching in the 21st century
This project is part of a doctoral study at the University of Edinburgh and has full ethical approval from the university’s ethics committee.
Why are there two phases in this study?
This study is designed in two phases to explore instrumental teaching in the digital age from different perspectives and levels of detail.
- The first phase is a nationwide online survey for instrumental and vocal teachers across the UK. This allows the project to gather a broad picture of how digital technologies are being used in one-to-one and small group teaching settings.
- The second phase involves a series of interviews with selected teachers, parents, and students. These interviews offer a chance to explore individual experiences in more depth and provide valuable personal insights that go beyond the survey data.
Together, these two phases help build a well-rounded understanding of how digital tools are shaping teaching and learning in instrumental and vocal teaching today.
Does this project have ethical approval?
This project has received ethical approval from the University of Edinburgh’s Ethics Committee. All data will be handled in accordance with university guidelines for research integrity, privacy, and confidentiality.
