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Advanced Diploma in Primary Music Education

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Programme Type

Full-time

NIE PD Courses

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Advanced Diploma in Primary Music Education provides teachers with a framework of knowledge and skills in music.

The programme apprises music teachers of the current thinking and practice in Music and Music Education and provides opportunities for teachers to reflect on and re-examine their classroom practices. Lastly, it enables teachers to develop competencies in the evaluation and planning of effective music curricula and programmes in their own schools.

 

This programme will:

  • provide teachers with a framework of knowledge and skills in music that will be useful in their role as a classroom teacher as well as practitioner
  • apprise music teachers of current thinking and practice in Music and Music Education that will provide opportunities for teachers to reflect on and re-examine their classroom practices
  • enable teachers to develop competencies in the evaluation and planning of effective music curricula and programmes in their own schools

This programme is offered to:

  • Candidates should have successfully completed the prescribed curriculum subjects in the Teaching of Music during their pre-service training Diploma in Education (General) and PGDE (Primary) programmes.
  • Candidates without the prescribed music curriculum studies knowledge and skills will be considered on the grounds of having successfully completed stand-alone In-Service courses (e.g., Basic Musicianship, Basic & Intermediate Recorder, Basic and Intermediate Singing, Classroom Musicianship) amounting to at least 8 Academic Units (96 hours). These courses must have been taken within the last 5 years at the time of the programme application.

Candidates not fulfilling the above two criteria will also be considered should they meet at least one of the following requirements:

  • Demonstrable evidence of participation through informal musical experiences (popular musics, jam bands, jazz, etc) or other forms of certification (SIFAS, Chinese Orchestra, Electone, playing experience in the School Wind Ensemble, etc.)
  • ABRSM Grade 5 or any other examination board experience or equivalent.

Over and above these requirements, all candidates for this Advanced Diploma programme will be subject to auditions and interview to determine suitability.


For enquiry on course administration, please e-mail: [email protected].

The Advanced Diploma in Primary Music Education offers 7 courses, divided into knowledge, skills and curriculum studies courses. Each course carries 3 Academic Units (AUs). Participants need to achieve at least 21 AUs to complete the programme.


Course Code Title No. of AUs
KNOWLEDGE
IVP4408 Music Theory for a Multi-Cultural Music Curriculum 3
IVP4409 Teaching and Learning of World Musics
 3
SKILLS
IVP4410 Playing and Conducting
 3
IVP4411 ICT and classroom music practices 3
IVP4412 Performance Studies 3
CURRICULUM STUDIES
IVP4413 Theory and Practice of Music Education I 3
IVP4414 Theory and Practice of Music Education II 3

Knowledge


IVP4408: Music Theory for a Multi-Cultural Music Curriculum

This course aims to develop some essential theoretical understanding to help teachers deal with the music-technical features—in respect of melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, timbre and texture (where applicable)—of different music traditions. This basic understanding is meant to undergird the designing of meaningful performing and creating lesson activities within a multi-cultural music curriculum. Whilst western art music theory forms the basis of theoretical understandings here, other traditions (e.g. Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and Malay as well as popular musics) will be brought in selectively for comparative study purposes with the aim of sensitizing teachers to pertinent commonalities and differences across traditions. The mode of teaching adopted will have a strong practical dimension whereby theoretical concepts are learnt in part through singing and performing in ways authentic to the tradition involved.

IVP4409: Teaching and Learning of World Musics

This course offers teachers an introduction to the musics of the world and the varied role of music in differing societies. The lessons from these varieties of culture and societies are contextualized for the classroom and ways in which these world musics may be introduced to pupils in a practical and musical way. This course is designed as a starting point from which it is expected teachers will develop their own interests further. This course emphasizes the facilitation of an informed ‘audience listening’ with an emphasis on practical engagement (performing, composing, improvising) with the music wherever possible.

Skills


IVP4410: Playing and Conducting

This course allows trainees to develop practical musical skills in the following areas useful for the classroom music teacher:

  • Singing
  • Recorder
  • Keyboard skills for the classroom teacher
  • Conducting for the classroom teacher
  • Guitar (option)

IVP4411: ICT and classroom music practices

The course is taught in a practical way with trainees being given hands-on experience of the computer programmes under study and opportunities to explore internet resources for music teaching. Trainees will be introduced to composing and arranging using pre-recorded loops. Trainees will be taught how to record music via audio and MIDI and edit, mix and master the resulting tracks. Schemes of work to integrate these programmes into the music syllabus will be considered.

IVP4412: Performance Studies

In this course all students are expected to develop their own performing abilities both as an individual and in an ensemble. Students will continue to develop their personal instrumental skills and participate in a minimum of two ensembles drawn from the ensemble activities available through the General Electives – i.e. Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indian, Japanese, Percussion/Choir/Symphonic Band.

Curriculum Studies


IVP4413: Theory and Practice of Music Education I

Curriculum studies help prepare a music teacher through the study of both traditional and contemporary theories on music education curriculum. The course will introduce theories of music education through a practical and creative approach.

IVP4414: Theory and Practice of Music Education II

This course will comprise a study of the music curriculum in Singapore and the wider musical world. In addition to in-depth study of the MOE music syllabus, students will explore music opportunities beyond the school: concert visits, private lessons, community music activities, visiting artists, practical musical activities in school outside the classroom and school musicals.

Using the Advanced Diploma for entry into NIE’s full-time Bachelor of Arts (Education) / Bachelor of Science (Education) OR part-time Bachelor of Education

Upon successful completion of this programme, you may wish to apply for admission into the NIE/NTU degree programme. Admission is not automatic and all applications would be given due consideration. The admission criteria for returning teachers who are interested in using the Advanced Diploma to help gain admission into the full-time Bachelor of Arts (Education) / Bachelor of Science (Education) OR part-time Bachelor of Education are as follows and may be subjected to further updates from the Office of Teacher Education:

  • Obtained at least overall Pass in Dip Ed/ Dip PE/ Cert Ed and a minimum of 'C' Grade in an Advanced Diploma (obtained prior to the introduction of GPA System) or a minimum of CGPA of 2.50 in an Advanced Diploma (obtained after introduction of GPA System)*

AND

  • Recommendation by Principal

*For admission to Bachelor of Education (Primary) Part-time Programme, in addition to the above criteria, candidates must also meet the following:

  • Be employed by the Ministry of Education;
  • Have at least two years of trained teaching experience; and
  • Have an annual appraisal grade of at least Grade C or better.