<b>Analysis of virtual teachers’ perception on musical teaching through distance education

Abstract

This article presents an investigation of music teachers’ perceptions on Musical Education in distance education. Using musical perception as an analogy, the article discusses the perception of virtual music teachers upon the particularities of teaching music in distance education, considering their interactions with virtual students, tutors and teaching materials. It is a qualitative research. The methods used for data collection were online surveys and semi-structured interviews. The analyzed subjects were Musical Education teachers at the Federal University of São Carlos and data were analyzed under a theoretical reference that approaches Distance Education (EaD), Teachers Training and Musical Education. The data showed that teachers perceive themselves as courses managers, and it the virtual tutors are in charge of most of the interaction with students. Teachers also invest much more energy in planning their courses than working during the offer. Many of them realize the student as a central figure of the teaching-learning process, but believe that the interaction between everyone involved in the process is a crucial factor in Distance Education. Teachers also realize that the difference in the students’ profile in distance learning programs in relation to the ones in classroom courses may influence their teaching strategies.