Ruth Wright
Chair of Music Education
Department of Music Education
Ph.D. (University of Wales, Cardiff) 2006
E-mail: rwrigh6@uwo.ca
More than thirty years’ experience as a teacher, musician and researcher in the studio, high school and university sectors have provided Ruth Wright with a depth of practical experience in the field of music education. That experience, combined with a commitment to research-informed, innovative teaching and a strong ethos of academic and pastoral student support is evidenced by high levels of student success and positive teacher / student relationships. In 2008 Dr. Wright became a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy denoting expertise in pedagogy in higher education. She was awarded a prestigious Teaching and Learning Research Project Fellowship in 2007 to work with Dr Pamela Burnard at Cambridge University, England on research into the meta-pedagogy of informal learning. Dr. Wright’s research is frequently published in respected national and international journals and she is a frequent presenter at international academic conferences. She is a member of the international advisory board of the British Journal of Music Education and of the review board of the journal Visions of Research in Music Education, (Princeton College/Rider University, New Jersey). Dr. Wright has acted as a consultant on music education for the Open University, worked on research into Welsh traditional music for the Welsh Curriculum Authority for the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales and advised on music education policy to the Welsh Assembly Government and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in England.
Dr. Wright is currently engaged in the final stages of work on a book entitled Sociology and Music Education due for publication by Ashgate Press in March 2010. She is editing a special issue of the British Journal of Music Education comprising papers presented at a symposium on informal learning and post compulsory music education which she convened at the Reflective Conservatoire Conference at the Royal Guildhall School of Music in London in February 2009. She has also been asked to co-author a chapter of the New Oxford Handbook of Research in Music Education (G.Welch, Ed.).
Awards
University of Cambridge/Institute of Education London Teaching and Learning Research Project Meeting of Minds Fellowship
British Academy Overseas Travel Award
University of Wales Institute Cardiff Extended Research Leave Award
Teaching Areas
Philosophy, sociology, and history of music education (undergraduate and graduate), graduate advising (Masters and doctoral students).
Current Courses Taught (see course syllabi)
M9586 Sociology of Music Education (graduate), Mus1800 Introduction to Music Education, Graduate thesis and dissertation advising.
Research Interests
Music education and social justice
Sociology and Music Education
Power, culture and pedagogy in music education
Informal learning and music/ music teacher education
Representative Publications
Books
Wright, R. (2004) Welsh Traditional Instrumental Cardiff:ACCAC/ UWIC Press
Wright, R. (Ed.) (forthcoming) P. Burnard; J. Finney; L. Green; G. Johanssen; S. Karlsen; A. Lamont; K. Maton & C. Philpott Sociology and Music Education London: Ashgate
Chapters in Books
Froehlich, H.C; Todd, R. and Wright, R. (in press) Sociological Thinking and Research Relevant for Informing Music Education Policies and Agendas in R. Colwell and D. Myers. (Eds.) Handbook of Research in Music Education (3rd Edition) New York: Oxford University Press
Wright, R (2007) ‘Inclusion Reconsidered’ in J. Finney and H. Coll (Eds.) Ways into Music Making Every Child’s Music Matter Matlock: NAME pp. 40-44
Wright, R. (2007) ‘Equality of access and addressing individual needs’ in C. Philpott and G. Spruce (Eds.) Learning to Teach Music in the Secondary School, London: Routledge pp.193-209
Journal Articles
Wright, R. (2008) Kicking the Habitus: Power, Culture and Pedagogy in the Secondary Music Curriculum, Music Education Research Volume 10, Issue 3 September 2008 , pp. 389 - 402
Wright, R. (2007) Music, Educational Equity and Social Justice: A Case Study Finnish Journal of Music Education Vol 9 (1-2) pp6-18
Wright, R. (2002) Music for All? An investigation of GCSE Music. British Journal of Music Education 19 (3) pp 227-241
Wright, R. (2001) Gender in Music Education-the view from the classroom British Journal of Music Education (2001) 18 (3) pp 275-291
Wright, R. (1998) A holistic view of Music Education British Journal of Music Education, 15(1), pp 71-81
Published Conference Papers
Wright, R. (2008) Power, culture and pedagogy in music education: whose curriculum is it? Proceedings of Fifth International Symposium on Sociology of Music Education, Memorial University of St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
Wright, R. (2007) Kicking the Habitus: Power, Culture and Pedagogy in the Secondary Music Curriculum, Proceedings of Fifth International Research in Music Education Conference, University of Exeter
Wright, R and Thomas, P. (2003) Is there a future for music education in the British secondary school? With P. Thomas proceedings of Third International Conference in Research in Music Education, University of Exeter available at: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/cmue_rimeconf.asp
Wright, R. (2005) Power, Culture and Pedagogy in the School Music Curriculum British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Glamorgan Uploaded to the Education-line index available at http://brs.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/brs_engine
Wright, R. and Kanellopoulos, P. (2007) Informal music learning, improvisation, and teacher education with P Kanellopoulos, Proceedings of Conference on the education and training of music teachers, University of Padova, Italy
For complete contact information, please consult the Alphabetical Directory.
Also from this web page:
Faculty & Staff
Sociology and Music Education
by Ruth Wright
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