B. Mus.Ed. (Melbourne); M.Ed. (Arts Admin); Ed. D. (RMIT)

Lecturer - Arts & Social Education

Dr Baker has 17 years experience as a school-based music educator in primary and secondary, classroom and instrumental contexts. He is the Chairperson for the Australian Society for Music Education (ASME) Tasmanian Chapter and is the Convenor of the ASME XVII National Conference Musical Understanding 2009.

Recent Publications

• Baker, W. J. (2007). The use of journaling in the development of student engagement and confidence with the teaching of music in an early childhood and primary teacher education degree: A new perspective of an old problem. Australian Journal of Music Education (1), 40-49.
• Baker, W. J. (2007). The use of journaling in the development of student engagement and confidence with the teaching of music in an Australian early childhood and primary teacher education degree. In E. van Til (Ed.), NZARE National Conference Education in the Pacific University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand 4 - 7 December 2007 Conference Papers.
• Baker, W. J. (2007). Encouraging appropriate learning behaviours: Aligned assessment practices within a pre-service music teacher education course. In E. van Til (Ed.), NZARE National Conference Education in the Pacific University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand 4 - 7 December 2007 Conference Papers.
• Baker, W. J. (2007). Integrated arts: An interdisciplinary approach. In A. Stanberg, J. McIntosh & R. Faulkner (Eds.) Australian Society for Music Education Inc. XVI National Conference Celebrating Musical Communities Proceedings of the 40th Anniversary National Conference, Perth 6th-10th July 2007.
• Baker, W. J. (2007). Nurturing the research spirit: The ivory tower and the teaching-research nexus in developing early career research. In P. Jeffrey (Ed.) Engaging Pedagogies: Australian Association for Research in Education International Education Research Conference Proceedings.

Research Interests

Dr Baker’s Doctorate focused on the role for professional performing arts organisations as providers of arts education. The thesis Education Programs of Performing Arts Organisations in Australia developed a conceptual model for the organisation of education programs based within such organisations. Dr Baker’s research interests include: Curricula and assessment across the Arts domains, integrated Arts teaching and learning, and the role of journaling in pre-service teacher education. In 2007 Dr Baker was awarded a UTAS Teaching Development Grant to investigate the use of music learning centres in primary and early childhood education with reference to the experiences of pupils, classroom teachers and pre-service teachers (available at: http://www.asme.tas.edu.au/learning_centres/index.html). Dr Baker has been awarded a further UTAS Teaching Development Grant for 2009 extending the study of learning centres across the Arts domain.

Teaching

Dr Baker teaches in the Bachelor of Education degree in the preparation of pre-service primary generalist teachers in music education and in the Bachelor of Teaching degree in the preparation of pre-service primary and secondary music specialist teachers.