Birmingham City University Faculty of Education

Biographical Details :

Martin Fautley  taught for many years in Secondary Schools, including posts as Head of Music, and Head of Expressive Arts. He was also director of a Music Centre. After completing an in-service MA here (at UCE, as was), he then returned to full-time study at Cambridge University where he read for his MPhil and PhD. His research was in both the Education and Music faculties, where he investigated group creative processes in Music, and the role of formative assessment in developing these.   

Research Interests :

His research interests lie in the areas of:

• Composing
• Group Creative Processes, and Creativity in General
• The role of Assessment in developing learning
• Theoretical Approcahes to account for creativity, including Activity Theory
• Developing trainee teachers' use of Formative Assessment
• The Philosophy of Music Education

Recent Projects :

• CLASS: An evaluation of  Creative learning at Specialist Schools
• CARA: Creativity Action Research Awards: Research Mentor for three Midlands schools investigating Creative Processess
• CARA2: Development from the above: Research Mentor for a Specialist School investigating Composing at KS3
• Creative Partnerships: Member of team evaluating Creative Leanring Projects in two schools, in Midlands and Yorkshire
• Baseline Assessment of Pupil Composing Competence in Year 7: Specialist Schools Trust and Coventry LA (Linked, but separate projects)
• Associated Board: Research Project investigating Teachers use of Assessment of Composing in Music
• Creative Partnerships: Evaluation of dissemination of creativity projects across 5 Local Authorities

Other Research Interests :

• Longitudinal Study of Composing across the 3 years of KS3 - project with Solihull LA
• Baseline Assessment of Composing - ongoing research
• the development of trainee teachers' use of formative assessment in creative processes
• Pedagogies for Creativity

Publications :

1999 The Composing Labyrinth: Pupil Composing in the Secondary School: Stoke: Trentham Books

2002 "Assessment: From Literature to Practice" in Harris and Paterson (Eds) How Are You Doing? Learning And Assessment In Music. Matlock: NAME

2004 Teacher intervention strategies in the composing processes of lower secondary school students: International Journal of Music Education Vol 22(3) pp 201-218

2004: O Fortuna: Creativity in English music education considered from a post-modernist perspective. Music Education Research Vol. 6 (3) November 2004 pp 343-347

2005 "A new model of the group composing process of lower secondary school students." Music Education Research 7(1): 39 - 57.

2005: 'Baseline assessment of pupil composing at Key Stage 3: an investigation' . British Journal of Music Education. 2005 22(2), 155–166

2005: CLASS: Creative Learning and Specialist Subjects - An Evaluation of Phase 1: 2004-5. UCE:Birmingham ISBN 0904354997

2006 “Assessment and the Musically Talented” (pp80-88) and “Creativity and Learning Styles” (pp 101-114) IN Savage, J (2006) Meeting the needs of your most able pupils – MUSIC. London: David Fulton.

2007 Formative Assessment of Composing at KS3. Published online: http://www.music-ite.org.uk/profdev/pdf/formative_assessment.pdf

2007 Fautley, M. & Savage, J.Creativity in Secondary Education, Exeter, Learning Matters.

Presentations :

Assessment for learning: Guildhall College of Music and Drama, London March 2001

Modelling the creative process: SEMPRE (Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research) Cambridge October 2001

Composing in the Classroom: National Association of Music Education : Stone, September 2002

Raising Achievement through the use of formative assessment: Stoke-on-Trent June 2003

Composing at Key S tage 3: International Conference of Music Education Research Exeter April 2003

Teaching Composing?: Music Education: Research, Policy, Practice: Royal College of Music, London. February 2004

Stages in the teaching and learning of composing for all pupils in generalist music classes in the Lower Secondary School: International Research in Music Education Conference, Exeter. April 2005

Positions Held:

• Member of editorial board of the British Journal of Music Education.
• Member of Steering Group for new KS3 Strategy for music
• Regional Subject Adviser for New National Curriculum in Music