Music Education Commons^™

A Bright Point In A Dull Day: A Qualitative Exploration Of Middle School Students’ Perceptions Of Music Ensemble Participation, Kailee Amburgey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Music participation, specifically in an ensemble setting, is known to promote learning and social skills and to contribute to a well-rounded overall education. With this in mind, this qualitative, constructivist grounded theory study explored the impacts that participating in chorus, band, or orchestra has on students’ overall experience in middle school, with a focus on joy and identity development. The researcher interviewed fifteen students about their personal experiences and feelings about their lives as middle schoolers and musicians. The findings, shared in six theoretical concepts tied to the research question, reveal important facets of these students’ experiences that shed light …

Effects Of Music Instruction For 3-4-Year-Old Children On Cognitive Development And Spatial Skills, Veronica Perez Espinosa

LSU Master's Theses

The impact of music instruction on child cognitive development has been examined by researchers in many contexts, but not as often in very young children. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of music instruction on the spatial and cognitive skills of preschool children ages 3-4. Participants in the study were 68 three- to four-year-old students who received weekly music instruction at a private school in South Louisiana. Of the 68 participants, and using a quasi-experimental design, 30 students in three intact classes were randomly assigned to receive a movement song treatment and the other 38 …

Hidden Meanings In Elementary Instrumental Music Method Books: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, Mara Hope Thompson

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Textbooks serve as the primary resource utilized to deliver curriculum in a variety of subject areas and educational contexts. However, much previous research has found that texts often convey concealed meanings in the form of hidden and null curricula. This Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) explored the musical discourses and cultural contexts of musical examples in two elementary instrumental music textbook series to investigate whose values, cultures, perspectives, and knowledge are conveyed by the texts and whose are excluded or misrepresented. Framed by the social theory of Postcolonialism, the research revealed binary ideologies of exoticism embedded in many aspects of …

Music Performance Anxiety: Should It Be Addressed In Music Curricula And By Whom?, Kaitlynn Kamer

Honors Projects

Music performance anxiety (MPA) impacts musicians of all skill levels, as demonstrated by existing research on both student and professional musicians. Although most musicians experience MPA, it is not formally addressed in music curriculum. This study seeks to evaluate the views and discourse around MPA in the collegiate music community through a survey of 66 college music students, 17 faculty members, and a series of secondary interviews. Through the results of the surveys and interviews, the thoughts on MPA from both the faculty and student perspective will be discussed. Upon reviewing the results of study, possible avenues for addressing MPA …

Colombia Creativa Artists’ Professionalisation Programme (Ppacc - Programa De Profesionalización De Artistas Colombia Creativa): Evaluation Of The Organisation And Musical Training Accomplished, Oswaldo Lorenzo-Quiles, Yuly Rodríguez-Ramírez, Ana Lendínez-Turón

Revista Española de Pedagogía

No abstract provided.

Instrumental Practice To Shape Character: Educational Possibilities From A Perspective Of Musical Craftsmanship, David González-Llopis

Revista Española de Pedagogía

No abstract provided.

Music Education’S Contribution To The Development Of Ei In Adolescents And Its Effect On The Gender Variable, Ana-María Botella-Nicolás, Inmaculada Retamero-García

Revista Española de Pedagogía

No abstract provided.

Selected Elementary Music Educators’ Perceptions Of Curriculum, Scheduling, And Workload, Mara Nowlin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Elementary music is a field that many people would agree is important, but the subject does not always get an equal opportunity when stacked up against subjects that are regulated with standardized tests, such as math or language arts. I set out to study elementary music programs in the region where I am employed (the Four State Region of Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma) in the Midwest. Some questions I sought to answer were what types of elementary music curricula are available and popular, and how districts come to select their music curriculum. Additionally, I wanted to examine the school …

A Multiple Case Study Of Adolescent Piano Students: Examining Motivation Through The Lens Of Interest Development, Carla Lucia Salas Ruiz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

One way of understanding motivation is through the factors that influence it. These factors analyzed as psychological constructs give rise to the notion of motivation variables such as interest. Interest is a powerful variable that affects student motivation to learn (Hidi & Renninger, 2006; Hulleman et al., 2017; O’Keefe et al. 2017; Renninger & Hidi, 2016; Tin, 2013). In 2006, Hidi and Renninger proposed the “Four-Phase Interest Development Model” for the characterization of interest in learning. According to this model, learners can move from a situational level of interest development to a well-developed individual interest, in a sequential manner. This …

A Survey Of K-12 Music Teachers’ Classroom Management Experiences In Music Teacher Preparation Programs, Jennifer Potter Gee

Visions of Research in Music Education

The purpose of this follow-up study was to explore classroom management sources and content in music teacher preparation programs. K-12 music educators, who self-identified as members of various professional music education organizations, were the participants in this study. Similar to the initial iteration of the survey with elementary general music educators, recurrent sources of classroom management reported by participants included mentoring from a licensed teacher and supervised fieldwork. Teaching procedures and pacing instructions were common examples of classroom management content included in a music teacher education program, which differed slightly from those identified by elementary general music teachers. Mentoring from …

Effect Of Vertical Alignment On Elementary, Middle, And High School Music Programs, Tamekia Denise Holliday

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of vertical alignment on elementary, middle, and high school music programs. Thirty-five (n = 35) elementary, middle, and secondary music educators participated in the study. Of the 35 participants, 41% (n = 15) were high school music educators, 25% (n = 9) were middle school music educators, 27% (n = 10) were middle and high school music, and 2% (n = 1) taught elementary, middle, and high school. Analysis of survey data revealed significant relationships related to vertical alignment. The most significant relationship was between vertical alignment and retention (r = .643, p < .01), suggesting that student retention increases as vertical alignment increases. As well, results indicated that as vertical alignment decreases, the number of students “who wish to continue in music classes but cannot” increase (r = -.530, p < .01). Analysis of open-ended survey questions revealed valuable themes related to consistent band participation, music teacher expectations, and the effect of vertical alignment on music programs. Applying the results of this study may improve understanding of the effects of vertical alignment and enhance effective teaching and learning in music.

Do The National Core Arts Standards (Ncas) Make A Difference In Music Education?, Jordan Mikaela Dues

Masters Theses

Fine arts advocates have pushed for arts to remain a foundation of education for decades Arguments have been made and published that participating in music courses increased scores in other subjects. A change occurred in the realm of music education when assessment-based learning and standardized curricula were introduced. The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) was assembled to revise standards for the arts and create a way to assess them. The NCCAS presented the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS) in 2014 which led to its adoption in most states. There are many schools, however, that do not adhere to …

The Great Generalization: Organizational Adaptation Strategies As Entrepreneurship In Higher Music Education, Jacob Bruce Hertzog

Music Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study sought to measure how higher music education has evolved in response to the music industry’s digital revolution. I utilized a framework of organizational adaptation theory to synthesize five distinct organizational adaptation strategies: decentralization, generalization, specialization, formalization, and inaction. Music leaders were surveyed (n = 100) to assess adaptations across ten common domains in higher education. Higher music education was found to have undergone a great generalization through the expansion of activities in nearly every domain. Consistent with elements of organizational adaptation theory, and like individual musicians, higher music education has been entrepreneurial in response to the digital revolution.

Belonging And Banding Together: Perspectives And Insights Of Newly Recruited Ell Musicians, Edward Francis Luckey, Edward Luckey, Edward Luckey

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to bring forward the lived experiences of English Language Learner (ELL) musicians who were new to the band program as of the Spring of 2021. This study was born out of previous coursework and reflection where it became apparent that more must be done to provide access to our band program for students who are in our ELL program. Therefore, the research question that guides this study is “What are the lived experiences of ELL band students?” The methodology is primarily a pursuit of the stories and lived experiences of the ELLs via a …

Empowering Silenced Voices: Implementing Critical Pedagogy To Move Toward Decolonizing Music Education, Alexis Adams

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Throughout this thesis, I will delineate the historical and current issue of Eurocentrism and racism being perpetuated in K-12 music education and music teacher education programs. I will argue that music teacher education programs need to be decolonized and radically transformed so that music classrooms and curricula are anti-racist and counterhegemonic. Through utilizing theoretical frameworks, a historical review, and a literature review, I will further contextualize this problem. Lastly, I will propose a two-pronged intervention to address this over-arching issue: an undergraduate course entitled Critical Pedagogy in Music Education and a radically transformative professional development series for current music educators.

An Exploration Of How School Leaders Make Decisions About Music Programs In Suburban Schools, Xavier Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the decision-making processes involved with deciding the funding and framing of music programs in three suburban school districts in the New York metropolitan area. School leaders were interviewed to understand the factors associated with the decision-making process. The findings helped to understand educational leaders’ perceptions, how programs changed over time, and the different actions that were taken. Key educators and school leaders from three school districts in the suburban New York Metropolitan area were interviewed. The participants from each school district included a district school leader, a building school leader, a school finance leader, …

Using Song To Teach Sight Words, Taylor Hagood Guin

Graduate Research Showcase

This research is about how a group of seven kindergarten classes used a short and straightforward song to recognize the following six common kindergarten sight words: on, off, up, us, no, & go. As a current music educator and former middle grades English teacher, I wanted to create an opportunity to establish cross-curricular connections in my music classroom. For this specific experiment, seven different classes, including General Education, Self-Contained Special Education, and English Language Learning classes, were selected. They were taught these six sight word songs through the “Sight Word Song.” I selected the sight words specifically because the students …

Daring To See: White Supremacy And Gatekeeping In Music Education, Brian A. Gellerstein

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Music education in the U.S. maintains a legacy of cultural hegemony that has historically and systemically benefited the White students it was designed to serve, at the expense of Black and Brown students and teachers. As a subdiscipline concerned with cultural production and reproduction, the persistence of White supremacy within music education contributes to its indefatigability within the broader society.

This study is cast within a theoretical framework that connects critical race theory and critical pedagogy in order to address the ways in which music teachers make meaning of gatekeeping practices mediated within hidden structures of White supremacy. This inquiry …

Music, Our Human Superpower, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

Research about music pervades every discipline because music touches every area of life. Studies revealing the salutary effects of music can be found not only in music educator research, but in research in psychology, speech and hearing, child development, neuroscience, and increasingly, health and wellness, aging, rehabilitation and recovery. Since my focus is especially in the areas of language and literacy, I research the positive effects of music on reading, writing, and learning languages - and of this, there is no shortage. In this brief Academia article, I share what I’d like to call an “homage-with-references” to our great Superpower, …

The Connections Of Music, Culture, And Language: A Qualitative Case Study Of The Musical Experience Of A Newcomer Program, Jessica Strawderman

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In this qualitative case study, I investigated the philosophy and process of an elementary newcomer program and explored the perceived benefits for newcomer students of the musical experience, aiding in transition from full-time English as a second language (ESL) services in self-contained class to a general education setting. The studied school division serves a high population of students who are English Language Learners (ELLs), representing a multitude of languages and cultures. The division places students of immigrant families who have no social or educational experience speaking English in the newcomer program. In order to gain a deep understanding of the …

Accommodations For Underserved Students In Music Education, William M. Refuss

The Corinthian

This research examines socioeconomic status and its relation to accommodating students with special needs where access to specific technologies and equipment is limited. For students who need costly accommodations where socioeconomic status affects access, other methods of accommodation need to be found. This paper focuses on the specific goals in a music education classroom and how students with disabilities struggle to achieve such goals without accommodations, as well as examining different personnel and technologies in which access is limited when examining the financial impact. Such accommodations include music therapists assigned to the school, inclusion classrooms, modified instruments, and other technologies …

“A Lot Of Stories In My Mind”: Perspectives Of Children And Elders Living With Dementia On Intergenerational Collaboration In A Participatory Music Project, Cameron Dusman

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Trends of music engagement include a shift towards presentational music culture, as well as inequitable access to participatory music-making for some populations. Meanwhile, trends of societal engagement include ageism and age-segregation. Especially for people living with dementia, stigma often prevents equitable access to creative participatory arts. This convergent, mixed-methods case study design explored participation in an intergenerational, participatory creative arts project. Participants included children from an elementary school and senior adults with dementia in a memory care neighborhood. The purpose was to explore the meaning of participation and interaction in the project from participants’ perspectives. Participants collaborated in eight sessions …

Music Education In A Liquid Social World: The Nuances Of Teaching With Students Of Immigrant And Refugee Backgrounds, Gabriela Ocádiz Velázquez

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This integrated-article dissertation explores the multiple ways in which music teachers, community facilitators, and students engage in music teaching and learning in social contexts prone to change due to human mobility. Drawing upon Bauman’s sociological understanding of modern societies as liquid and the larger implications of processes of human mobility in schools and communities, this research focuses on exploring music education as it happens within an increasingly diversifying Canadian society.

In the first article, a philosophical research study, I conceptualize the notion of coping with discomfort as a form of response possibly experienced by music teachers. Here, I draw from …

Problem-Seeking In Teacher Education: Empowering Students To Grapple With The Complexities Of The Profession, Julie Ballantyne, Libby Flynn, Tammie Olm-Madden

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Preparing teachers for the realities of the profession is an ongoing concern for teacher education providers. In a climate where the future of teaching is largely unknown and the issues to be faced by teachers throughout their career largely imagined, the ability to identify and solve problems becomes increasingly important. This paper documents an evaluation of a pilot approach to preparing pre-service teachers for the realities of their profession. This approach, which centred on students utilising mobile technologies to problem-seek, was evaluated in terms of students’ perceived preparedness for the profession and their development of problem-solving skills and strategies. Results …

Bridging The Gap: Self-Efficacy And The Desire To Continue In Music Education, Janet Levine

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This study sought to explore the problem of student retention in music, specifically between eighth and ninth grade. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between eighth-grade band students’ self-efficacy beliefs and their desire to participate in band. Bandura’s (1977) four sources of self-efficacy (mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal/ social persuasions, and students’ physiological state) were the theoretical framework that guided this study. The participants in this study consisted of 68 eighth grade band students who had at least one year of band experience. This quantitative study used the Music Performance Self-Efficacy Scale, specially …

The Use Of Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures In Music Education To Promote Rhythm Skills And Knowledge, Emily Labes

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine if Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures produced greater achievement in music education than those who did not have the opportunity to engage in Kagan structures. The participants included 114 fourth grade students attending a public school in southern Minnesota. The scores of pre and post-tests determined student growth and achievement for both the control and treatment groups. The specific music skill assessed was rhythm. Results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference on rhythm when assessed by a paper and pencil exam when Kagan Structures were used. Analysis of a performance …

For The Culture: The Importance Of A Critical Social Theory Within The Music Education Classroom, Brianna Thomas

Senior Honors Theses

This paper will analyze the history of music education in the United States and discuss how the music classroom can contribute to and dismantle social inequalities including social class, gender, and race. Class effects music education by creating barriers to necessary resources and opportunities as a result of economic positions.[1] Gender is the second focus because music has historically been a male-dominated profession. As a result, many textbooks and curriculum highlight the achievements of men while erasing the contributions of women which has taught women to devalue their own work.[2] The last focus is race. While the arts …

The Equal Right To Sing: The American Zeitgeist And Its Implications For Music Education, Youngeun Kim

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

According to music educators and proponents of arts education, music education in U.S. public schools seems to be in jeopardy. This thesis brings attention to several issues in current music education. It is a case study of music education in New York City public elementary schools. First, it shows that music education is not equally distributed to all students in the public-school system and is especially unequal among elementary schools. Next, it investigates possible causes for this inequality, from the current system’s limitations to more fundamental causes including the cultural perception of music among the U.S. public. The consequences of …

Measures Of Music Teacher Effectiveness In Three Early Career Levels, Alicia L. Canterbury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Corroborative findings across instructional targets rehearsal frames and the summative evaluations indicated a general lack of specificity across all levels which improved somewhat during student teaching and peer teaching. Unidentified targets and nonspecific positive feedback were observed less frequently in student teaching and novice teaching. No growth was found across levels in specific positive and negative feedback. Directives were the most frequently observed teacher verbal category in selected rehearsal frames and information and demonstrations were consistently the highest ranked items across all levels in the summative evaluation. However instructional directive scores were inconsistent. Results indicate that new teachers of all …

The Relationship Between District Concert Band Music Performance Assessment Participation And Student Achievement In Miami-Dade County Public Middle Schools, Arthur J. N. Scavella

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the implementation and achievement score pressures of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, elective course offerings such as music have been drastically reduced, especially in the middle school setting. A great deal of correlational research has shown a positive correlation between music education in school and students’ overall academic achievement.

This study examined the correlation between those middle school students that participated in the District Concert Band Music Performance Assessment (MPA) versus those middle school students that did not regarding their achievement scores on the 2016 English language arts (ELA) and mathematics subtests of the Florida Standards …