Overcoming barriers: Towards a framework for continuing professional development to foster teaching sound-based music

This article presents a theoretical discussion emerging from a pilot study within the EARS 2 teacher’s pack study, in which the suitability of the teacher’s packs that accompany an online sound-based music resource (EARS 2, www.ears2.dmu.ac.uk) was tested. The study investigated if the teacher’s packs could bridge the gap between the teacher’s current knowledge and the knowledge that was provided in the resources on sound-based music given to the teacher. During the study a minor technical glitch appeared, which caused the teacher to discontinue with the teaching trial. This was seen as a critical incident and was analysed using the critical incident technique. During the analysis, three different theoretical concepts were applied to the critical incident: cognitive prototype theory, the threshold concept theory and the concept of metacognitive knowledge. The article concludes by suggesting a theoretical framework for teacher Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in sound-based music. The results presented in this article cannot be generalized due to the sample size; however, this is currently followed up in further research.