Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Group music education'

This collaborative inquiry case study investigated a pre-existing peer learning group composed of five Korean college voice students and a non-musician facilitator. The group was chosen for this research to understand the implications of a diversified learning context in addition to the typical master-apprenticeship context of higher music education. The main activity for this peer learning group was researching literature related to classical vocal music along with presenting a performance project. This performance was in connection to their learning, and the chosen theme was a musical autobiography. Data were collected during the performance project process that included participant observations, interviews, and artifacts. The peer group's learning experiences and how this process influenced their behaviors, attitudes, and performance, and the role of the facilitator were content analyzed and reported. Results revealed that the students' intense meaning making process included mutual communication, cooperative interaction, enhanced motivation with group cohesion, and a sense of autonomy in their music learning. The autobiographic aspects of each member's life as a musician proved to be transformative in their learning and positively influenced their identity development as musicians. Careful intervention regarding individual differences was found to be an important consideration. The role of the non-musician facilitator aided group development with a contrasting perspective, allowing for positive support to the individuals, and suggestions for long-term goals regarding pedagogical aspects despite his lack of a music background. Challenges of the peer learning group included a lack of available learning resources, time intensiveness of the process, and a lack of continuity with few consistent acknowledged goals.

This study illuminated the need to reflect on diverse learning contexts in addition to the traditional master-apprentice dyad in order to enhance students' initiatives in their learning process; allow for opportunities for the formation of their musical identities; and to encourage a facilitator role for the master teachers. Future research is recommended to replicate peer learning among diverse musicians and to focus further on autobiographic learning in addition to online learning opportunities. Continuous innovation in the learning process in higher music education will empower future musicians to be creative meaning makers and lifelong learners.

The purpose of my study is to examine if the total study results differ between music classes and regular classes. Are there higher grades in music classes? If so, what are the causes for this? I chose to make an inquiry at two schools in different town districts, with music classes. At those schools I also collected data of pupils grades, and was informed by the principals and the music teachers about the activities. The number of respondents were ninety.

The inquiry showed that the grades were markedly better in music classes, and that you can see great differences in well-being, parental engagement and ambition level, compared to regular classes. The study gives several factors. The social background has some significance. The group effect of the music playing and the well-being in class has good influence on the grades.

The purpose of this study is, on one hand, to obtain an understanding of how children in municipal music- and culture schools choose instruments and what forms of recruitment methods they are subjected to, and on the other hand, how you can make them continue to play once they have begun.

To acquire this information, I have interviewed five music teachers and two principals at municipal music- and culture schools in Värmland. The questions treated, among other things, what affects children’s instrument preferences, recruitment methods and what you can do to keep interest for the chosen instrument alive.

The result of the study shows some apparent tendencies. Even though some of the instruments have trouble recruiting students and other instruments have trouble keeping them, the old methods, which obviously do not work in a satisfactory manner, are still being used. Instead, increased commitment at the occasion of recruitment, more group teaching which strengthens the social bonds through role models and a will to have the courage to change the organization when it does not work, is required.

Syftet med denna undersökning är att få mer kunskap om gruppstorlekens betydelse för musikundervisningen i år 7-9. Jag jämför hur lärare och elever upplever arbetsmiljön under lektionstimmarna i förhållande till gruppstorleken. Anpassar lärarna sin undervisning till gruppstorleken och hur upplever de möjlighet­er­na att uppnå läroplanens mål. Metoden för undersökningen är en kvalitativ intervjustudie med fyra musiklärare vid fyra olika grundskolor, varav två undervisar i helklass och två i halvklass samt en enkätunder­sök­ning med ett urval elever på de berörda skolorna. Sammanlagt 188 elever svarade på enkäten.

Resultatet av min studie visar att tillgång till och utformning av lokaler, stöd från skol­ledning samt antal elever man undervisar, i minst lika stor utsträckning som klass­torleken påverkar hur lärarna upplever sin arbetsmiljö. Eleverna är generellt mycket positiva i sina upp­levelser av arbetsmiljön på musik­lektionerna och de flesta anser att de spelar ofta. Eleverna i hel­klass är något mer positiva i sina svar, men det är också en större andel av dessa elever som deltar i någon form av musik­undervisning utanför skolan vilket sannolikt påverkar ut­fallet. Elever i helklass upplever oftare högre ljudvolym på lektionerna och lärarna för dessa klasser har också fler tydliga regler för att förebygga höga ljudnivåer. Ändrade kursmål och den ökade risken för hörselproblem hos musiklärare indikerar att mindre undervisningsgrupper i musik borde vara att föredra inte minst för att förbygga stress hos lärarna.

The purpose of this study is to gain more knowledge about the affect of group size in the teaching of music in compulsory school, grades 7-9. I want to compare how teachers and stud­ents acknowledge their work environment during the lessons in relations to group size. I also want to know if the teachers adjust their tutoring in spite of group size, and in what sense they acknowledge the possibilities to carry out the curriculum.The method for this study is a qualitative interview with four teachers in music at four separate compulsory schools, in which two tutors teach larger groups, and two teach smaller groups. There was also a questionnaire for selected students at the schools, of which 188 answered the questions.

The results of my study show that the access and design of classrooms, support from the principal and the total amount of students the teacher is tutoring, are of at least the same im­portance as group size in comparison to how the teachers experience their work environment. The students are generally very positive to their work environment, and they state that they often play during lessons. The students in the larger classes are somewhat more positive, but there is also a bigger part of them that are joining music teaching in some form outside of school, which probably affects the result. Students in larger classes more often experience louder volumes during the music lessons, and the teachers of these classes also have clear rules to keep the volume at a lower level. Changes in the curriculum and the increased risk for music teachers acquiring problems with hearing, indicate that smaller classes should be preferred during music lessons, while also helping to prevent teachers to suffer from stress

Music education has long included creative music activities and provided opportunities to compose in foundational learning environments. As the use of varying technologies increases in foundational learning, it is unclear how composing with acoustic rhythm instruments compares with technology-mediated applications when considering pedagogy and children's creative processes in third and fifth grades. It is also unclear what differences of application technology-in-composition lesson plans require when considering composing at different grade levels or if there are gender differences when composing at these levels.

This experimental study, with a between-subjects factorial design, was completed in three phases. In the first phase, participants were tested on the Intermediate Measure of Music Audiation (IMMA) (Gordon, 1986). In the second phase, children were invited, in groups of four by grade levels three and five, to compose with acoustic rhythm instruments or a graphic notation computer program, Hyperscore. Participants' compositional processes were observed using a researcher-constructed protocol, the Crawford Index of Quality for Composing Groups (CIQCG) (Crawford, 2016). The third phase tested all participants using the Measure of Creative Thinking in Music (MCTM) (Webster, 1994). Additionally, variables of grade level and gender were tested.

Results showed that third grade participants scored higher than fifth grade on the IMMA. Third grade scored higher composing with Hyperscore while fifth grade participants scored lower. No statistically significant correlations were found between gender and IMMA scores, however, male participants composing with acoustic instruments scored higher on the MCTM while female participants scored higher on the MCTM after composing with Hyperscore. Additionally, there were no statistically significant correlations between the test scores for the IMMA, CIQCG and MCTM, indicating that musical aptitude, musical composition process, and creative thinking are three separate areas in which music educators may focus.

Implications of this study for music education indicated that while technology may be a well-received tool for compositional work in classrooms, acoustic instruments were also well received by the third and fifth grade students in this study. These findings further indicate a strong need for development of close observation of composing opportunities in music classroom groups. Creative processes may be observed with greater understanding through use of the Crawford Index of Quality for Composing Groups.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the time usage skills of undergraduate students in college marching band. Specifically, this study investigated and compared the time usage of collegiate marching band members, music majors, and non-music undergraduate students. Participants (N = 80) were undergraduate students at a large southern university in the United States. Data were collected through a researcher-designed time log. Using the time log, participants recorded hourly activities for one week. Time logs provided a simple format for participants to easily and quickly record activities in several categories. The time log also contained a series of several demographic questions.

Results of this study indicated that non-marching band students had more free time than marching band students. Non-marching band participants allocated more time for leisure-related activities than marching band participants. Compared to other activities, results indicated that participants spent the most time sleeping and engaged in leisure related activities. These results are consistent with related research, which found that people spend most of their time sleeping and in leisure.

Although this study occurred during homecoming weekend, marching band students appeared to have adequate time to study, even with the sizeable amount of weekly rehearsals and weekend performances. Marching band students used more of their free time to study and complete homework compared to non-marching band students who chose to watch TV or socialize with friends. Non-marching band music majors devoted more time to practice than marching band music majors; however, total instrumental playing time was significantly greater for marching band music majors. Results also indicated that the opinions of others, such as parents and high school guidance counselors, may have influenced college students’ decision to enroll in marching band.

Further results indicated that students not enrolled in marching band may not use marching band rehearsal hours for academic-related activities. Marching band students appeared to use their free time more effectively than non-marching band students, choosing to study and complete homework, rather than engaging in leisure activities. Further research should continue to identify time usage challenges for college marching band members to further understand the process used by those students to make time use decisions.