Music curriculum development for the senior secondary schools of Macao

Supporting a transition in Macao’s senior secondary schools from individualized, informal music curricula to a government-led music curriculum, this qualitative and exploratory needs-analysis study reports the voices of three stakeholders – the government, teachers and their students. The findings a provide an understanding of Macao’s music education context, from which emerges five contributions to the current Literature: 1) Wiggins and McTighe Understanding by Design supports differing approaches to curriculum development, 2) a “needs-analysis” approach mediates education change, 3) curriculum cohesion can retain music teachers’ individual autonomy, 4) students’ music learning and assessment expectations exceed those of their teachers’ and 5) diversity in teacher training both empowers and dis-empowers these music-teachers’ autonomy.