Monica Lindgren (PhD) is professor of music education and the head of research and postgraduate education within music and arts education at the Academy of Music and Drama at the University of Gothenburg. She has a background as a music teacher in elementary education and municipal school of music and arts as well as teacher education programs at different universities in Sweden. She has been active in a number of research projects, focusing on aesthetic practices and music education in schools and teacher education. Her research interests include issues of identity and knowledge formation in artistic pedagogical practices, where perspectives from social and critical theories are used in order to understand conditions and opportunities for people’s learning within the arts.
How did you get involved with the FUTURED project?
I was contacted by the project manager Catharina Christophersen with an invitation to join the FUTURED project. I am very happy being a part of this project since it is in line with my deep interest in ideologies and identities in school music teaching and music teacher education.
How would you describe what you are doing in FUTURED?
I am a guest researcher in WP 2, co-authoring articles together with Silje Valde Onsrud, Hanne Rinholm and Bendik Fredriksen. As a guest researcher I am also part of all the seminars and meetings in the big FUTURED group.
What do you find interesting/fascinating and/or exciting about the work in your study?
Exploring preservice music teachers’ critical thinking is very interesting and of great importance. I am curious about the final conclusions we will make.
What is your favourite aspect of your research in FUTURED?
Working together with all the competent researchers involved in FUTURED is a great privilege. I love taking part in all the discussions, both in our small WP2 group and in the big FUTURED group.
This interview is taking place halfway through the project. Where are you heading for the future?
I will bring the knowledge from FUTURED into my ongoing teaching and researching at Gothenburg University. Hopefully my experiences from the project will lead to new research projects on music teacher education as well as inspire for development of our teacher education programs.