Music Teacher Training in Austria

I. Background / Organisation

II. Curriculum

III. Learning and Teaching Approaches

IV. Assessment / Examination

V. Current and Future Challenges

I. Background / Organisation

Music teacher training in Austria takes places at the three music academies Vienna, Salzburg (with additional courses in Innsbruck) and Graz and at the 13 state-run, private or church-run teacher training colleges. Trainee music teachers are taught at either a music academy or a teacher training college depending on their selected target group (type of school):

Table 1: Areas covered by the institutions with degrees attained

In Austria (8 million inhabitants) 9,882 students took a teacher training course[1] at a teacher training academy (the forerunners of the teacher training colleges) in 2006/07. Of these, approx. 2,000 trained as general secondary school teachers, with 10% of them choosing the subject “Music Education” – in the other categories (elementary and special needs schools) there is no specialisation in particular subjects (see below).

In the same academic year 209,416 students took degree courses at state-run universities, with 7,750 of them taking a teacher training course. Of these, 528 studied music education.[2]

At the teacher training colleges the three-phase course structure has already been introduced, whereas teacher training courses at universities have so far been left as they were and thus retain the “Diplom” system (see below).

II. Curriculum

Music teacher training for elementary schools (primary education) and general secondary schools (secondary education I) at teacher training colleges

In general, trainee primary school teachers do not specialise in particular subjects: the teacher teaches every subject. Trainee general secondary school teachers must choose two subjects. The first must be German, mathematics or English. Students are free to choose the second from all the other subjects, including music.

To gain admission to both courses students must have attained the academic standard required for university entrance (the Matura in Austria) or have passed an examination entitling them to study at university. In addition, they must pass an entrance examination (to determine their suitability). Courses last six semesters with a total of 180 ECTS credits being awarded for the completed course. Before they can graduate, students must have written a dissertation for their bachelor’s. Graduates are awarded the title “Bachelor of Education”. A particular feature of courses at teacher training colleges is the high proportion of practical training (see table 2 & fig. 1).

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Table 2 & figure 1: proportion of ECTS credits awarded for MTT for primary schools and general secondary schools (source: Hochschulcurriculaverordnung 2006)[3]

Music teacher training for secondary education at music academies

Teacher training courses for music teachers require students to study music in combination with another subject. Students must choose either a second school subject of equal status from the current school curriculum or a training course for teachers of musical instruments at secondary schools. In Austria, music education and this particular form of instrumental music education can only be studied at the three art and music academies in Vienna, Salzburg (which has an additional site in Innsbruck) and Graz. To gain admission to this course, students must have attained the academic standard required for university entrance (the “Matura” in Austria). 

All teacher training courses for arts subjects are “Diplom” courses. These last at least nine semesters and consist of 80-140 semester hours[4]. 20 to 25% of the total number of hours must be devoted to themes relating to educational theory and subject didactics. A relatively small number of optional subjects are chosen: the number of semester hours varies from three to 14, depending on the academy. In addition to these lessons, students do practicals at schools that last several weeks and have around 14 semester hours of general educational subjects. The dissertation accounts for 14-18 ECTS credits.

Figure 2: Training of secondary school teachers at university in Austria. Following graduation students are required to do one year’s teaching practice.

Figure 3 compares the curricula at the three Austrian music academies:

Figure 3: Comparison of the percentage of ECTS credits stipulated in the curriculum for each subject group[5] in Austria. The diagrams do not include credits awarded for teaching practice & general educational subjects, the dissertation and optional subjects.

Following completion of the degree course[6] graduates are allocated a school at which they teach each of the subjects they studied to one class only for one year as probationary teachers. During this year they are closely supervised and receive further training (see figure 2). Qualified teachers are required to attend further education courses for as long as they are active in the teaching profession.

III. Learning and Teaching Approaches

As a rule a wide range of lesson types are found, the form of which varies according to the institution. Subjects are taught by means of lectures, exercises, seminars, projects, excursions and private and group lessons in the arts.

In some subjects students are required to take part in contact hours, in others it is sufficient if they sit a final examination. Compared to other universities the emphasis placed on private tuition in artistic subjects is noteworthy. The enormous cost of this type of tuition makes it necessary to limit the number of students by means of entrance examinations.

It is likely that e-learning tools (such as learning platforms) will become increasingly widespread in future. At some institutions, such as the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and the Academy of the Arts in Graz, new media have become distinguishing features of the courses offered.

IV. ASSESSMENT / EXAMINATION

Teacher training colleges

Potential students must prove their suitability for the teaching profession by taking an entrance examination that determines not only whether their language and general skills are sufficient but also tests their musical and rhythmic proficiency.[7] The exact forms and approaches differ from one institution to another. Elements that such aptitude tests are obliged to include by law are self-assessment modules, information and guidance workshops, individual assessment interviews and consultation and, where a candidate’s suitability is still in doubt, special assessments.[8]

In general, the various forms of study assessment include examinations on each course and module, assessment of classroom-oriented activities and the bachelor’s dissertation.

“A degree course at a teacher training college has been successfully completed when a student has registered for all compulsory courses and passed all the examinations required by the curriculum.”[9]

Universities

Candidates are required to pass an entrance examination before they can begin the degree course. This examination tests theory of music (both orally and in writing), proficiency on two musical instruments and of singing, and communication and teaching skills. Every year dozens of potential students have to be turned away because of a lack of musical ability and the limited number of places available.

At both the academies and the teacher training colleges students must successfully complete a two-part course of study. This means they must attain a pass in each of the subjects included in the course. To graduate, students must have successfully completed all courses in both the compulsory and optional subjects, passed examinations in their main arts subject conducted by an examining commission, submitted a dissertation and passed examinations on the field of study of the dissertation and the second subject.

V. Current and Future Challenges

Following legislation that brings greater convergence between teacher training colleges and universities, discussions are now being held about a standardised form of teacher training at one institution, at least for all trainee secondary school teachers. The Austrian Rectors’ Conference and the body representing Austria’s university students (the Austrian National Union of Students) have both declared their clear support for training all teachers at universities.

Teacher training courses at Austrian universities are currently the exception in the reorganisation of higher education to a three-tier system of degree courses (Bachelor, Master and PhD): subjects for teacher training have so far not been reorganised at university level. They remain “Diplom” courses, the underlying structure of which goes back to a law that is no longer in force (UniStG). It remains to be seen how long this status will and can be maintained. At any rate, students at teacher training colleges are already taking bachelor’s degree courses.

Particular attention is currently being paid to the quality of music education in primary schools: this age is especially important for the musical development of children and for this reason discussions are being held as to whether their music lessons should be held by teachers who have specialist training in the subject.

In some Austrian provinces, especially in Vienna, there is a lack of music teachers. As a result some teachers who do not have appropriate qualifications have to teach music and this leads to music as a school subject occasionally being called into question in political discussions – despite the fact that influential voices emphasise the importance of musical and creative subjects.

Further Information

·      Universities (Federal Ministry of Science and Research): http://www.bmwf.gv.at/

·      Teacher training colleges (Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture): http://www.bmukk.gv.at/

·      For extensive statistics on higher education in Austria (students, graduates, expenditure etc.): http://eportal.bmbwk.gv.at/unidat/unidata%20LANDINGPAGE.htm

·      Academies of Music in Austria:

o   Vienna: http://www.mdw.ac.at

o   Graz: http://www.kug.ac.at

o   Salzburg: http://www.moz.ac.at; http://sam.ac

·      Teacher training colleges (overview): http://www.bmukk.gv.at/schulen/bw/leb/ph_standorte.xml