Teaching for Musical Understanding

By Jackie Wiggins

Ideal for introductory music education, philosophy and psychology of music education, and music education methods courses, Teaching for Musical Understanding explains current research-based theories of how students learn in order to show prospective and practicing music teachers how to teach effectively. Author Jackie Wiggins draws on her twenty-two years of experience teaching K-12 music and twenty years of teaching in higher education to demonstrate how theory applies to music education. The text is deeply grounded in the work of social constructivist theorists and researchers in both education and music education.

The third edition takes a cultural psychology perspective, giving more attention to sociocultural influences and to the roles of learner agency in learning process. It includes in-depth examples of assessment practices in music classrooms, stories "from the trenches," and more extensive use of endnotes and citations.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0199371733
• ISBN13: 9780199371730
• Release Date: November 2014
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Excellent! Very accessible and appropriate for beginners as well as veterans

Dr. Wiggins has carefully formulated a guide to constructivist musical instruction that is accessible to all in the education field. The book is clear and specific, offering many example lessons and modeled approaches for classrooms. While the book is aimed primarily at elementary school educators, there are serious implications for music education at all levels. Do not miss out on the companion CD, an essential piece when using the sample lessons in the classroom.

Teaching for Musical Understanding is Core

While I have not had the honor of meeting Jackie Wiggins, I am never the less very impressed with this book. I especially found the first four chapters helpful. This textbook was referred to frequently during my recent Curriculum Planning class taught by Northwestern graduate, Dr. Michelle Kaschub.

Yes, this is it.

I have studied with the one and only Dr. Jackie Wiggins and still have more to learn from her. She has helped me realize how much I will love to teach music. This book will surely help me through many a curricular dilema. How do I do this and still accomplish that? Yes it is possible!If you teach music or plan to teach music in the future, do yourself a favor and buy this book. It will certainly help anybody, from the experienced teacher to the undergrad student waiting nervously to teach an entire class for the first time (like me).