Project-based learning (PBL) is an active student-centred form of instruction which is characterised by students’ autonomy, constructive investigations, goal-setting, collaboration, communication and reflection within real-world practices. It has been explored in various contexts and in different phases of schooling, from primary to higher education. The majority of the reviewed studies were based on a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with some baseline equivalence established but no random allocation of participants to control and experimental groups, and as a result, a causal link between PBL instruction and positive student outcomes cannot be established with certainty. Modern digital technology, group processes of high quality, teachers’ ability to effectively scaffold students’ learning and provide guidance and support, the balance between didactic instruction with in-depth inquiry methods and well-aligned assessment have been identified in the literature as facilitating factors in the implementation of PBL. The article concludes with six key recommendations considered to be essential for the successful adoption of a PBL approach in the mainstream school setting.

This study aimed to assess the perceived impact of music students’ active engagement in music making. Seventy-eight music students were asked to report on the impact that their participation in music making had on their lives. The data were analysed using Atlas.ti software. The findings fell within three categories: music making as a musical act, which allowed participants to deepen their musical knowledge and understanding; music making as a social act, where students felt that they were active contributors to a group outcome, developed a strong sense of belonging, gained popularity and made friends with ‘like-minded’ people, enhancing their social skills, and building up a strong sense of self-esteem and satisfaction; and music making influencing the self in terms of personal skill development facilitating the students’ personal identity and encouraging the development of self-achievement, self-confidence and intrinsic motivation.

Background: A raft of initiatives and reforms have been introduced in many countries to attract and recruit school teachers, many of which do not have a clear evidence base, so their effectiveness remains unclear. Prior research has been largely correlational in design. This paper describes a rigorous and comprehensive review of international evidence, synthesising the findings of some of the strongest empirical work so far. Methods: The review synthesises a total of 120 pieces of research from 13 electronic databases, Google/Google scholar and other sources. Each study is weighted by strength of evidence. Results: The strongest evidence suggests that targeted money can encourage people into teaching but does not necessarily keep them in the teaching profession. The money needs to be large enough to compensate for the disadvantages of working in certain schools and areas, and competitive enough to offset the opportunity costs of not being in more lucrative occupations, and its effect is only short-term. Conclusions: Continuing professional development (CPD) and early career support could be promising approaches for retaining teachers in the profession, but the evidence for them is weak. There is no evidence that any other approaches work, largely because of the lack of robust studies.

This study aimed to assess the perceived impact of young people's active engagement in ensemble music making. Sixty-two non-music university students were asked to report on the impact that their participation in music making had on their lives. The data were analysed using Atlas.ti software. There was a reported positive impact on social, musical and personal skills. Students’ comments on the social benefits they gained from music making were mostly associated with their enjoyment of interacting with like-minded people in a friendly and relaxing environment. The development of musical skills was particularly valued as a significant benefit of making music in groups. The most important finding was the perceived impact of music making in students' personal lives in both the short term and long term. Alongside those perceived benefits, some challenges to ensemble music making were expressed. These are presented and discussed in terms of their practical implications. The case of a single mother that presented particular interest regarding her experiences in a popular band is also reported in a separate sub-section. A comparison is finally drawn with music students' perceptions of participative music making.

This study aims to explore pupils’ affective engagement with school and music during their transition to secondary school. A gender comparison is also being made to ascertain any differences that may exist between boys and girls during this time. A sample of 182 pupils completed two questionnaires (attitudes to school and attitudes to music) three times (at the end of Year 6, at the beginning and end of Year 7). A series of one-way repeated measures analysis of variance tests showed that pupils’ overall attitudes to school dropped significantly from the end of Year 6 to the end of Year 7 with their enjoyment towards school and their satisfaction with the work environment declining. Pupils’ attitudes to music presented a significant fall at the end of Year 7 after a slight improvement at the beginning of secondary school. Girls held consistently more positive attitudes towards school and music than boys. It is suggested that pupils’ attitudes are malleable and responsive to environmental change and, therefore, this problem can be remedied if appropriate interventions are put into place particularly regarding the teacher-pupil relationship and pupils’ perceived autonomy in their learning.