Enough student agency? Exploring student agency and autonomy in an electronic music theory course in higher education

In this article, the potentials and limitations of student autonomy in an electronic music theory course at a bachelor’s programme at a Norwegian University are explored. The article describes a project that aims to develop flexible courses where the students’ existing creative practices are the starting point, and where their individual competencies and interests can be combined within the classroom. The reasoning behind the project and its design rests on two premises: (1) there has been a diversification of prior musical knowledge within student groups entering popular music programmes and (2) students, more often than before, are experts beyond their teacher on certain topics. The study is designed as an instrumental case study, and data was generated through qualitative interviews, reflection notes and a full-day evaluation meeting. Findings highlight (1) the importance of balance between student autonomy and teacher agency; (2) the teacher’s ability to differentiate between the parts of a course where the primary concern is the amount of student agency vs. those where the quality of student agency is the issue and (3) the importance of not only facilitating student agency but supporting it in a way that supports student actorhood – that is, making the students exercise their autonomy.