Mark Aitchison

Mark Aitchison profile picture
  • Subject Leader in Secondary Music ITT
  • Programme Director of PGCE (Reflective Practice) and iPGCE
  • MA research supervisor
  • Module leader on BA Ed Music Specialism
  • Module Leader – Development of Transferable Skills through a School Placement (STEAM)

Areas of interest

Expertise and Research Interest

  • How adolescents develop a musician identity
  • Pedagogical approaches to music education
  • Assessment in music
  • Use of technology for inclusivity in the classroom
  • The use of AI in the Performing Arts Curriculum

Postgraduate supervision

Masters Level Supervision offered in these areas

  • Learner and Teacher identity
  • Pedagogical approaches

Research projects

Current and Recent Research Projects

  • Exploration of the experience of students in KS3 Curriculum Music in England (Doctoral study research)
  • How music teachers have used the experience of the Pandemic to innovate in the classroom
  • Exploration of how students develop a musician identity through curriculum Music
     

Background

Mark Aitchison currently works as a Lecturer for Music Education at UoR alongside being a classroom teacher in a High School in the West Midlands. He has taught music for over 25 years across the Primary, Secondary and Music Hub sectors.

Academic qualifications

  • University of Reading, MA (Music Pathway), 2021
  • Trinity College London, ATCL, 2012
  • University of Wales, Institute Cardiff PGCE, 2000
  • University of Wales, College Cardiff BMus, 1999

Awards and honours

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 08/2023

Selected publications

Podcasts

  • Music First - Teaching with Technology, S4, E16
  • Music Teacher’s Association Podcast
  1. Sharing good practice – EuDaMus25 E116
  2. Planning the curriculum for a new academic year E81
  3. Long term changes to classroom practice following the pandemic E74

Conference Panels

  • 11/2023 Panel Member, The Dynamic Classroom, MusicMark Conference, Southampton
  • 05/2023 Chair for panel discussion, Individual vs Group instrumental tuition, Music Teacher’s Association Conference, Loughborough
  • 02/2019 Music in Schools Conference, Encore Enterprises, Hereford

Conference Presentations

  • Aitchison, M (2024). Transforming traditional pedagogies by using Popular Music to teaching musicianship in the High School. European Association for Music in Schools Conference, TU Dublin Conservatoire, 12-15 June 
  • Aitchison, M (2023). Positive outcomes from the Pandemic and Music Technology and Composing Workshop, European Association for Music in Schools Conference, Lyon University, 24-27 May
  • Aitchison, M (2022). Building Musician Identity in Y8 students in England. European Association for Music in Schools Conference, Belgrade University, 18-21 May

Publications

  • Aitchison, M. (2024). A study into musician identity in Year 8 Students in England. In Isolde Malmberg & M. Petrovic (Eds.), European Perspectives on Music Education: Music and Meaning (pp. 93-110). Helberg.

Enterprise Activity, External Roles & Consultancy

  • Honorary Treasurer of the UK Music Teacher's Association
  • UK National Coordinator for the European Association for Music in Schools

Publications

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