Considering current trends in research of music pedagogy, improvisation seems to be an exceptional musical “act” of learning music, embracing characteristics of informal learning practices (Wright, R. & Kanellopoulos, P. A. 2010).

This study intended to investigate young children's improvisations when applying "open approaches" of teaching improvisation. Open approaches of teaching – learning improvisation stress the importance of the “act” of music placing the student in the centre of the learning process. It encourages music experimentation and exploration, group collaboration (Sawyer, 2014), as well as learning through the process of enculturation as an exercise of autonomy and freedom. Moreover, it emphasises the active role of the teacher and the scaffolding process (Sangiorgio, 2015).  

Throughout the study, I aimed to answer the following questions: 1) How do children interact with each other? 2) What factors influence the formation of children's improvisations? and 3) How does the teacher's role support the "open approaches" of improvisation?

The present study was conducted using action research to investigate the pathways children followed during their improvisations through a circular-spiral process. The study took place in a private kindergarten in Greece. A group of seven 5–6 year-old children participated in the study for three months. The survey data were analyzed through thematic analysis based on Braun & Clark (2012). Data were encoded to interpret them collectively and in-depth, giving my own meaning as a researcher. From the process of the coding analysis, three thematic units emerged. This paper will specifically delve into the third thematic analysis which is the design of "open approaches" to encourage children's improvisations. Four stages were designed such as: a) preparatory stage, b) free and guided exploration, c) formation of improvisation and d) presentations of planned improvisations in class.

The research revealed the function of improvisation as a democratic social practice in which the group shared beliefs, ideas and emotions through music. Sharing common meanings through their improvisations, children expressed themselves freely and autonomously within a peer-directed and self-directed learning environment. Moreover, the research suggests strategic steps for music educators to follow in order to encourage improvisation activities with children and to rethink improvisation as a social practice of interaction and freedom of choice.

• Εμπειρίες, αξίες και πρακτικές της μουσικής και ηχητικής εκπαίδευσης
• Κοινωνικό μουσικό περιβάλλον
• Μουσική εκπαίδευση για την κοινωνική δικαιοσύνη και την ισότητα
• Μουσικές εμπειρίες με νόημα

Katerina Adamopoulou (Ph.D) currently is a music teacher in a private school in Greece. She has a professional background, with 15 years of experience music education and piano pedagogy. Her primary research interests are music improvisation, vocal improvisation and teaching practices through the Orff-Schulwerk. The last years she has presented research papers in music education conferences. She holds a Master's degree in Music Management from Westminster University in London and has graduated from the Orff-Schulwerk studies in Moraitis school of Athens. She has gained a Jazz Vocal diploma and holds a diploma in classical piano performance from the National Conservatory of Athens.