The Independent Music Teachers' Research Group was formed to enable independent music teachers (IMT') to come together and conduct collaborative action research in areas of concern that affect our teaching practice in the private music studio.   Our intent is to focus on IMTs' knowledge and professional practice and change the usual ways in which knowledge is produced in our profession.  

Collaborative action research enables IMT' to develop their own research agenda and affect and participate in, decision making outside our private studios which impacts our teaching.  We believe that through this type of research we can address the issue of isolation we experience as teachers in a private music studio and participate in real choices and decisions that affect our professional practice.  

The IMTRG was originally founded in 2004 by five members of the Halifax and Dartmouth Chapters of the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers' Association (NSRMTA). 

Our first research project was "Motivation and retention of students in the private music studio".  Papers related to this research have been presented at the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations (CFMTA) biannual conference in Sackville, New Brunswick;  NSRMTA and PEIRMTA conventions; Canadian Music Educators Association Pan Canadian Conference, Victoria, B.C; Problems in Music Pedagogy Conference, Daugavpils University, Latvia; Research Commission, International Society of Music Education (ISME) in Porto, Portugal and a poster presentation was given at the ISME conference in Bologna, Italy. 

So far, we have formed an IMTRG in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.   It is hoped that more groups will form in other Provinces and throughout the world.

For information on how to start an IMTRG in your area please contact:

Dr. Lorna Wanzel
Founding member IMTRG,

President, NSRMTA
Vice President, CFMTA
Chair, CFMTA Research & Professional Development Committee

vicepresident@cfmta.org