Ioulia Papageorgi

Results from a survey conducted by the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations Board of Educational Affairs are reported. A total of 227 psychology graduates from across Europe responded to an online survey. Participants were presented with a set of psychology subject-specific competencies and a set of general competencies and asked to rate the extent to which (a) their Bachelor studies supported the development of these competencies and (b) these competencies were relevant for employment as well as to comment on the value of a Psychology Bachelor degree. Findings suggest that an education in psychology develops psychological skills, but also graduates with more general competencies. Overall, psychological competencies appear to develop to a high level through the Bachelor in Psychology, with the exception of specific practical skills. On the contrary, general competencies appear to not develop to an adequate degree. Practical skills focusing on the administration of psyc...

The development of expertise in music requires sustained, intensive commitment to long-term goals. These goals are underpinned by concepts that aspiring musicians formulate, with regard to their musical ideals as well as their musical possible selves. In this chapter we will explore the concepts of ideal musicians articulated by higher education music students and professional musicians. We will, furthermore, consider concepts of ideal teachers, focusing on how teachers might support students in mediating the space between their ‘ideal’ and possible musical selves.

Music in universities and conservatoires. Gaunt, Helena and Papageorgi, Ioulia (2010) Music in universities and conservatoires. In: Music education in the 21st century in the United Kingdom: achievements, analysis and aspirations. Bedford Way Papers . ...

COVID-19 pandemic has affected many areas of our lives including education. In the time of designing this study most schools, colleges, and universities across Europe were closed and psychology educators were expected to change their teaching methods rather quickly. This study investigates how they coped with this situation, which technology and methods they used to teach psychology distantly, and which barriers and outcomes they found in this situation. Participants were N = 660 secondary school and university teachers from 28 European countries. The results showed that the participants across Europe face similar challenges in adopting distance teaching methods, which were technical and organizational rather than pedagogical. Despite the fact they found distance teaching of specific psychological contents challenging, psychology teachers also described positive aspects of distance teaching, examples of good practice and lessons learned that could be generally implemented in the teaching of psychology beyond the pandemic situation.

Objective: The aim of the study was to identify links between concrete negative emotional states and food intake amongst college students. The association of anger, sadness, stress, frustration, inadequacy, and fear were associated with unhealthy eating. Methods: One hundred and fifty college students completed a series of self-report questionnaires containing the Three-Factors Eating Questionnaire-Revised 21 (TFEQ-R21). Results: Significant positive correlation was found between emotional eating and negative emotions. In particular, students who scored high on the emotional eating scale were more likely to consume unhealthy foods (sweets and high-fat calorie foods) when experiencing anger, sadness, stress, frustration, inadequacy, and fear. Discussion: College students increased their food consumption in order to reduce their emotional distress and discomfort, evidencing by their emotional eating behavior during those periods in life. Conclusion: The inability of students to differentiate the physiological hunger from the emotional hunger resulted in the increase of food consumption when experiencing negative emotions, as a coping mechanism.

Most research on musical performance anxiety has considered this in relation to the internal characteristics of the performer, the extent of their preparedness for the performance, and factors in the immediate performing environment. The approach to its alleviation has generally been clinical in nature. Little research has been situated within an explicit overarching conceptual framework. This article proposes a theoretical framework that portrays anxiety within a musical performance context as a process that has an explicit time dimension (pre-, during- and post-performance). The model illustrates the likely processes that occur once a performer agrees to participate in a particular performance and explains how these might give rise to either maladaptive or adaptive forms of performance anxiety. The potential longer-term effects on the performer are also discussed. A detailed description of the model and the theories behind its development is followed by a consideration of model's implications and potential usefulness for both research and education.

A range of studies suggest that singing activities with young children can have a beneficial impact on other aspects of their development. However, there is little research examining the relationship between young children's singing and their developing social identity. In the current study, data were captured of young children's singing and social identity as part of a larger-scale, longitudinal evaluation of the nationwide Sing Up programme in England. Participants were 720 children aged 5-8 years old. The assessment of young children's singing ability employed an established measure and was undertaken individually. With adult support, the children were also asked to complete a simple questionnaire that focused on selected aspects of their social identity, both in general terms and also related to singing. Key themes embraced their attitudes to singing (at home, in school and in informal settings), singer identity (emotional engagement with singing and self-concept), a...

The literature suggests that there is often no alignment between student preferences and what and how it is taught in the music classroom. A total of 749 Cypriot secondary school students, aged 12 to 14 years, responded to a survey addressing enjoyment of music, motivation for school music lessons, and perceptions of the music classroom environment. The survey included a questionnaire with six subscales: Involvement, Affiliation, Teacher Support, Task Orientation, Order and Organization, and Rule Clarity. High ratings for Affiliation, Teacher Support, and Rule Clarity suggest that, overall, students’ perceptions of the classroom environment were positive. They were not uniform, but varied on the basis of student characteristics. Girls rated Rule Clarity higher than boys. Younger students tended to rate Task Orientation, Order and Organization, and Rule Clarity higher than older students. Higher-achieving students tended to rate Affiliation and Teacher Support higher. Older boys rate...

Recently, models have been developed that recognise the complexity of motivation. These set out the interactions that occur between environmental (cultural, institutional, familial, educational) and internal factors (cognition and affect) enhancing or reducing motivation. Despite this we know very little about gender differences in motivation in relation to playing an instrument. The current study aimed to address this issue, exploring gender differences in motivation and whether these changed as expertise developed. A total of 3325 children ranging in level of expertise from beginner through to Grade 8 level in independent instrumental music examinations completed a questionnaire that included a seven-point Likert scale with statements exploring different aspects of motivation. A principal components analysis was undertaken and six factors emerged: support and social affirmation; social life and enjoyment of musical activities; enjoyment of performing; self-beliefs; enjoyment of le...

Recent models of musical motivation have recognised the complex interactions which occur between environmental (cultural, institutional, familial, educational) and internal factors (cognition and affect) in enhancing or reducing motivation. Much previous research has been small scale and not taken account of long term musical aspirations. This article aims to address these issues exploring changes in motivation as expertise develops with a large sample of learners. A total of 3,325 young musicians, aged 6–19 playing a wide range of instruments participated. They represented nine levels of expertise ranging from beginner to higher education conservatoire entry level. Level of expertise was established in terms of the most recent graded independent instrumental examination taken. They were asked to respond to a series of statements on a 7-point Likert scale. The statements focused on well-established elements of motivation including: self-beliefs; enjoyment of musical activities; enjo...

Supplemental material, Online_supplemental_material for 'Turn up the volume and listen to my voice': Students' perceptions of Music in school by Natassa Economidou Stavrou and Ioulia Papageorgi in Research Studies in Music Education

This article addresses the question of whether higher education music courses adequately prepare young musicians for the critical transition from music undergraduate to professional. Thematic analyses of interviews with 27 undergraduate and portfolio career musicians representing four musical genres were compared. The evidence suggests that the process of transition into professional life for musicians across the four focus genres may be facilitated when higher education experiences include mentoring that continues after graduation, the development of strong multi-genre peer networks, the provision of many and varied performance opportunities and support for developing self-discipline and autonomy in relation to the acquisition of musical expertise. Implications for higher education curricula are discussed.

Literature suggests that music performance anxiety (MPA) is prevalent in adolescence, a developmental period with increased likelihood of experiencing anxiety under evaluative conditions. Evidence also indicate that individuals may respond to evaluative situations in distinct ways. Factors contributing to the individuality of responses in evaluative situations (such as test taking and musical performance) are not yet fully understood. This study investigated student typologies in adolescent instrumental learners. Participants included 410 learners who completed the Young Musicians’ Performance Questionnaire. K-Means cluster analysis revealed three typologies: Cluster 1 – moderately anxious students evidencing lower levels of motivation and feeling ineffective but guarding their self-esteem; Cluster 2 – highly anxious students evidencing negative self-perceptions and being susceptible to experiencing maladaptive MPA; Cluster 3 – low anxious students evidencing high levels of motivati...

Research in musical performance anxiety so far has mainly focused on adult professional musicians. Additionally, studies have mostly maintained a `clinical approach' to musical performance anxiety, focusing on the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of maladaptive performance anxiety and its effects on selected groups of musicians. The aim of this thesis was to fill some of these gaps by exploring the experience of musical performance anxiety from the perspective of adolescent musicians. 410 students aged 12-19, all attending junior conservatoires and / or youth orchestras in the UK and Cyprus, responded to a self-report questionnaire. The questionnaire dealt with a range of learning and performance issues and yielded both quantitative and qualitative data. Performance anxiety was measured with the Adolescent Musicians' Performance Anxiety Scale (AMPAS), designed specifically for the needs of this study. Results revealed that performance anxiety was an issue for a significan...

Participants The participants for the research (baseline and post-intervention evaluation) were drawn from eighty-one schools located across England. The schools were in major cities and adjacent population centres across the South-East (Greater London), East have not witnessed before. It is the most elemental form of music making, and is within the grasp of all of us, whatever our ability. It is a powerful community activity binding individuals and community together.'

This paper explores the concepts of 'ideal musicians' constructed by advanced performers of Western classical, jazz, popular and Scottish traditional music. The question of whether there continues to be a persistent dominant discourse concerned with concepts of ideal ...

ABSTRACT The publication reports an evaluation of over one thousand respondents who participated in the Sing Up workforce development research surveys. Two main benefits were reports by respondents: an increase in their self confidence as vocal leaders and an appreciation of the provision of teaching materials provided under the Sing Up umbrella to support the teaching of singing in schools. They were also positive about having access to a peer support network amongst fellow professionals. Respondents also reported that their professional development experiences confirmed a view that all children can be successful in singing. Singing was seen to help cultivate a heightened sense of community and to impact positively on children's social and emotional development. The vast majority of respondents stated that they had taken the opportunity back in the workplace to share their Sing Up development experiences with colleagues.

There is a growing body of literature pointing to the significance of engaging with music, and to its potential for bringing about positive change in areas such as cognitive development, academic performance, educational motivation and learning, socio-emotional development and behaviour, and mental health – across the life course from infants through to seniors. Our decision to initiate a special issue of Early Child Development and Care (ECDC) surfaced from the fact that although there is a wide array of journals that specifically cater to readers of music education andmusic psychology, these do not necessarily cross the borders from our profession to other readers. Moreover, those in the child care vocations, especially focused on very young infants, toddlers, and pre-school children, are not always familiar with the contents and research findings of the specific music education and music psychology literature. On the other hand, ECDC is a multidisciplinary publication with a readership of parents, educators, social workers, psychologists, and paediatricians. ECDC publishes papers in all aspects of early child development and care, including descriptive and evaluative articles, as well as experimental and observational studies. In the year 2020, the journal was received by institutions and private subscribers in over 190 countries, with downloads registered among the highest for all education journals of the Taylor & Francis publication group. For the year 2020, the journal boasts of its 190th volume, with an average 16 issues per annum, each consisting of 11–12 articles per issue. We note that such a massive bulk totals an average 180 manuscripts per year having been accepted from more than 400 submissions undergoing editorial review cycles per year (excluding those rejected without entering a review cycle). The special issue ‘Music In The Lives Of Young Children’ targets music and its significance in young children’s lives with a focus onmusic education and the musical experience of pre-school children. The special issue is comprised of 11 articles that have been written by 32 authors (several teams of co-authors) from 10 countries (Canada, Germany, India, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America). These research studies were carried out in nine countries (Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America). The methodologies employed by the papers in this issue include: case studies; classroom vignettes; conceptual development of assessment measures (principal components and validation analysis); direct observation studies; empirical studies evaluating transfer effects; insider research; performance analyses (both audio and video capture); pre-post intervention outcome studies; randomized controlled trials (RCTs); self-report recollection survey questionnaires (both hard copy and on-line presentations); and theoretical reviews. The research samples of the studies herein are infants, toddlers, and young children in nursery, kindergarten, and pre-schools (aged 2–5 years old), as well as school-aged children in Reception classes and Grades 1–3 (aged 5–8 years old). In addition, some studies recruited parent care-takers, music education, and general education teachers, and in one case members of the general public. For the most part, the studies were carried out in classrooms or at ecologically natural home environments – albeit in one case there was an on-line web-wide internet survey. Foci of the papers comprising the special issue include young children’s active engagement with music in formal (e.g. school) and informal (e.g. home) contexts, the musical experiences of pre-school children and children in the early years of schooling, music education and pedagogy in the early years, as well as papers advancing theory on musical ability in childhood and teacher–child

While there has been a great deal of research on instrumental practice and the nature of motivation to engage with music making, there has been relatively little that has considered the relationship of these with instrumental examination outcomes. This research aimed to address this issue. A total of 2,131 young musicians, aged 6–19, across a wide range of expertise, with a range of examination outcomes responded to a series of statements on a 7-point Likert scale relating to practice and motivation. Those merely awarded a pass grade in their examinations tended to undertake the least practice. Factor analysis revealed seven factors relating to practice and six to motivation. Multivariate analysis of variance showed that there were statistically significant differences between those with different examination outcomes in relation to the organization of practice, the use of recordings and the metronome, the adoption of analytic strategies, social life, and self-belief in musical abil...

Music can be understood in many ways. This has important implications for music education. The research reported here explored how groups of people conceptualise musical understanding and what they believe supports its acquisition. In this study 463 participants completed two statements: “Musical understanding is” and “You learn to understand music through”. Understanding music was viewed as complex and multidimensional with two overarching themes: personal musical understanding in context and understanding as process, with 10 main sub-themes of understanding: communication, kinaesthetic, emotional, personal, knowledge about music, critical evaluation, musical elements, analysis and comparison of music, internal representations, and creating music. Understanding was believed to be acquired through love and enjoyment of music, physical responses, emotional engagement, analytic processes, active engagement with music, education or guidance in formal or informal contexts, exposure to m...