A Survey of Modes of Student Response Indicative of Musical Learning in Elementary Instrumental Music

Abstract

This master's thesis reports on a study of the frequency and modes of student responses that demonstrate musical learning in the elementary instrumental music class. Some advances must be made toward more definitive evaluation practices in elementary school instrumental music if instrumental programs are to be justified in terms of improved teaching procedures and valid content. Learning to play an instrument proceeds with greater effectiveness when the student periodically is provided with clear knowledge of progress made toward a goal. The success of the instrumental music program in a particular school depends to a large extent upon the ability of the teacher to evaluate student progress.This paper proposed an exploratory descriptive study that consisted of observation and documentation of behaviors in beginning instrumental music classes in public elementary schools in two Michigan cities. The study recorded the number of times in each class that a teacher elicited modes of student response that demonstrated musical learning. The study observed teacher presentation of musical problems and the resultant behaviors of the students. The study classified these modes of student response into eight basic categories:(1) description;(2) identification; (3) imitation;(4)discrimination;(5) association;(6) analyzation; (7) generalization; and (8) synthesis. To facilitate documentation of student responses the study developed an instrument that included each of the eight behaviors and their subdivisions. The study involved the nine observations of beginning band classes. Figures illustrate the findings of each of the observations. The study concluded that imitation, discrimination, and association were the principal behavior categories of the eight delineated in this study. This instrument is included in an appendix.

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