College of Education
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..
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Item The effect of violin, keyboard, and singing instruction on the spatial ability and music aptitude of young children(2010) Tai, Tzu-Ching; Montgomery, Janet; Hewitt, Michael P; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of violin, keyboard, and singing instruction on spatial ability and music aptitude of children ages four to seven years. Specifically, this research attempted to determine: (a) whether formal music learning in the violin, keyboard and singing conditions enhanced children's spatial ability and music aptitude, and (b) whether children's spatial ability and music aptitude differed among these learning conditions. In addition, this study sought to examine the relationships among children's age, their development of spatial ability, and music aptitude in the given music instruction. A pretest-posttest two by three factorial design was employed in the study. Children (N=88) ages four to seven years were randomly assigned to one of three instructional groups (violin, keyboard, or singing) and received 45 minutes of music instruction four times a week for 16 days. Spatial reasoning skills were measured using two subtests, the Object Assembly and the Block Design of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-III, while music aptitude was measured using the Primary Measures of Music Audiation or the Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation. An ANOVA with repeated measures was used to analyze children's mean scores on spatial abilities and music aptitude. Using an alpha level of .05, results indicated that the violin and keyboard groups significantly improved on spatial-temporal reasoning over four weeks of instruction. The spatial-temporal reasoning scores of 4-5 year olds significantly increased from the pretest to posttest while the scores of 6-7 year olds remained statistically constant. Regarding music aptitude, the tonal aptitude scores of 4-5 year olds singing group significantly increased over four weeks of music instruction. No statistically significant differences were found on the spatial recognition and rhythm aptitude scores among the three instructional groups for either age level. The study concluded that (a) violin and keyboard instruction might influence the spatial-temporal reasoning of young children, (b) younger children's spatial-temporal reasoning ability might be more enhanced by music instruction than those of older children, and (c) singing instruction appears to help young children develop their tonal aptitude. Pedagogical implications for music education were discussed.Item In Search of Signature Pedagogies for Teacher Education: The Critical Case of Kodály-Inspired Music Teacher Education(2010) Baumann, Paul J.; Malen, Betty; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purposes of this study are to identify the features of Kodály-inspired music teacher education programs that either confirm or refute the notion that signature pedagogies (Shulman, 2005 a, b, c) are present in this form of teacher education and to identify whether and how philosophical, pedagogical, and institutional influences support such pedagogies. Signature pedagogies are shared modes of teaching that are distinct to a specific profession. These pedagogies, based in the cognitive, practical, and normative apprenticeships of professional preparation, dominate the preparation programs of a profession, both within and across institutions. This study employs a collective case study design to examine Kodály-inspired teacher education programs, specifically those endorsed by the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE). This study serves as a critical test of the applicability of the construct of signature pedagogies to teacher education. Because these programs purport to hold shared philosophical and pedagogical ideals and are governed by an endorsing body (OAKE), signature pedagogies ought to be present in these programs if they are present in any teacher education programs. Embedded in this collective case are: (1) a history of Kodály-inspired pedagogy and its adoption and adaptation in the U.S., (2) case studies of two prominent and influential OAKE-endorsed Kodály-inspired teacher education programs, and (3) case studies of four to five faculty in each of these programs. Data sources include primary and secondary texts and documents, observations of the various events and activities that occur as a part of Kodály-inspired teacher education programs, and focus group and individual interviews with program faculty and students. This study finds that the two case sites possess four signature pedagogies: (1) demonstration teaching, (2) master class teaching, (3) discovery learning, and (4) the music literature collection and retrieval system. These pedagogies appear to be inextricably tethered to the contexts, professional body (OAKE), and work of Kodály-inspired music educators though multiple complex linkages. The study closes by assessing the applicability and usefulness of the construct for the discourses and study of teacher education and by offering revisions to the construct that may help to improve the construct's usefulness in future research.Item "Like Who You Are:" Socially Constructed Identity in the Middle School Band(2008-09-03) Hoffman, Adria R; Silvey, Philip E; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to explore the band classroom as a social context and examine its influence on middle school students' identity constructions. Identity theory in sociological research and social identity theory in the field of social psychology provided the theoretical bases for this study. However, the integration of both theories suggested by Deaux and Martin (2003) as well as Stets and Burke (2000) proved most applicable to this inquiry. Both intergroup processes and role identities were explored. This qualitative study included six band students enrolled in a large public middle school located in a metropolitan area on the East Coast. Enrolled in the same sixth grade band class, each of the six participants played a different instrument, and therefore provided a unique perspective on social interactions and the school experience. Ethnography and narrative inquiry informed the data collection process and methodological choices for this collective case study. Data collection included classroom observations, open-ended interviews, and weekly student journals. Data was collected over a period of 5.5 months, ending as students chose to continue or discontinue their band enrollment for the subsequent school year. Interview transcripts, field notes, and student journals were systematically coded first on a case-by-case basis, then compared, contrasted, and interpreted across cases. Findings supported prior research on musical identity and music education. Students simultaneously valued perceived characteristics of their own group while devaluing those of other groups. In addition to supporting prior research findings, this study indicated that middle school band students make choices regarding course enrollment based on influences (rejection or affirmation) of those around them. Students initially chose to enroll in band because friends, teachers, and family members encouraged them to do so. Once they felt accepted as band members, they found particular roles in the band classroom. Based on others' affirmation or rejection of their competency in such roles, they reevaluated whether they felt they belonged in the band. Those who felt rejected or less competent chose to enroll in other courses. Students who felt successful and found unique roles within the band more strongly identified with the group.Item Charles Fowler and His Vision for Music Education: An Introduction and Selected Writings From 1964 to 1989(2008-06-01) Resta, Craig Michael; McCarthy, Marie F; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Charles Fowler, eminent advocate for arts education, devoted his career to the idea that music was critical to the development of young people and could positively impact schooling and society. During his 45-year career, he served in many roles: as teacher, supervisor, professor, scholar, author, editor, consultant, and advocate. Although his contributions are prolific, this research represents the first full-scale study that considers his work as an entire body. The purpose of this dissertation is to introduce Fowler as a significant figure in the field of music education, codify the major periods of his career, identify important writings, contextualize them within their times, and review them according to his vision for music education. Utilizing historical method and content analysis, several thousand documents were examined from the Charles Fowler Papers archived at the University of Maryland, College Park. Following an introduction to Fowler and his work, four periods of his career are presented, with the two middle periods, 1964 to 1973 and 1974 to 1989 serving as the focus of the study. Selected works were chosen based on their relevance to important events in Fowler's life and their relationship to his philosophy and viewpoint. The works were analyzed and contextualized by using primary source documents, foundational texts in music education, Fowler's own commentary, and interviews with established scholars and colleagues who knew him and respected his work. Finally, these writings traced the development of Fowler's vision which advocated music education can serve as an agent of social change. Findings reveal that Fowler's initial vision was based on the seven reconstructionist objectives he outlined in his 1964 dissertation. Based on these objectives, fifteen broad themes emerged in his writings during the period of 1964 to 1989. The themes elaborate on Fowler's vision for music education and its value to society, and relate to core concepts of reform, democracy, creativity, advocacy, and social change. It is hoped that this study will serve as a catalyst to encourage others to continue research into the life and career of Charles Fowler, along with further writing about reform and pragmatic change within the music education profession.Item Composing in a second grade music class: Crossing a watershed as children begin to understand song as structure(2007-05-31) Hall, Margo M.; McCarthy, Marie; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Many children have little opportunity in school settings to develop their natural propensity to create music. The purpose of this collective case study was to describe and interpret the experiences of seven-year-old children as they composed and shared songs in a second grade music class during sixteen class sessions over an eleven-week period. The primary research questions were: What processes do children use to compose songs and what is the nature of the songs that the children compose? How do interactions with others in the classroom influence children's song compositions? In what ways do the children's songs and the processes used to produce them indicate development in musical thinking? Twenty-three boys and girls participated as class members of the case study. Three children were selected as focus case study participants and their voices were individually recorded as they composed. Children completed three composition projects: a whole class song, a small group song, and a song created individually or with a partner. Data collected included video tapes of class sessions, recordings of songs in progress and final performances, picture song books made by the children, individual recordings by three case study children, and interviews of three case study children, their parents, and their classroom teacher. Findings included support for theories that children around the age of seven have reached a watershed of cognitive thinking ability enabling them to construct, remember, and perform composed songs that resemble the vernacular. Children's songs and processes were indicative of a path of development of musical thinking. Some children worked alone or together to produce stylistic and melodic variations and to modify their songs, incorporating tonal and rhythmic structures that made their songs memorable. Leadership, control issues, gender bias, confusion between speaking and singing voices, and reading fluency problems affected composing processes and content of the songs. A major aspect of the teacher role was to bring awareness of musical structures to children. Future research possibilities include the importance of singing as a tool in instrumental composition, memory for composed songs, and the connection between musical aptitude and ability to compose songs.Item Classroom Assessment in U.S. High School Band Programs: Methods, Purposes, and Influences(2006-05-23) Kancianic, Phillip M; McCarthy, Marie F; Hewitt, Michael P; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among characteristics of high school band directors and their school settings, purposes and uses of classroom assessment methods, and factors that influence the use of classroom assessment. MENC: The National Association for Music Education provided a membership list from which 2,000 U.S. high school band directors were selected by simple random sampling. Participants received a postcard via mail inviting them to complete an online survey. Non-respondents received a second postcard two weeks later and a paper version of the survey four weeks later. The independent variables included 11 personal and 11 school characteristics. The dependent variables included 23 assessment methods, 19 purposes of assessment, and 23 factors that influence the use of classroom assessment. The overall survey return rate was 39.75% (N = 795); the usable response was 31.7% (N = 634). Descriptive statistics illustrated the respondents' use of classroom assessment methods, the level of importance they attributed to purposes of assessment, and the level of influence they attributed to factors that affect assessment. Pearson product-moment correlations and multiple analyses of variance were performed on the data to test 22 null hypotheses. Excepting the MANOVAs (α = .05), the experimentwise alpha was set at .01 to reduce the risk of Type I error. Classroom assessments focused primarily on the evaluation of student performance skills. Lack of time was viewed as a major impediment to assessment. Teachers were more influenced by internal factors (e.g., philosophy of education and class goals) than by external factors (e.g., school requirements and local, state, or national standards). Music colleagues were influential among less-experienced teachers and those who had district-wide assessment training. Three prevalent issues emerged from the results: teacher autonomy, the role of assessment training, and teacher workload. Recommendations included investigating the relationship between teacher autonomy and classroom assessment, examining and improving current assessment training for pre-service and in-service teachers, and developing efficient assessment strategies that have a minimal impact on teacher workload. It was also recommended that the many non-statistically significant findings be examined by future researchers.Item Hearing Others' Voices: An Exploration of the Musical Experiences of Immigrant Students Who Sing In High School Choir(2004-11-29) Carlow, Regina; McCarthy, Marie; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to explore the musical experiences of immigrant students in an American high school choral classroom. This study revealed some of the central issues and tensions that immigrant students face as they are acculturated into secondary school music programs. The study explored the experiences of five immigrant female high school students who had emigrated from the following countries: Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, and Kazakhstan. The primary participants in the collective case study attended a suburban high school in the Mid-Atlantic region and had been living in the U.S. for three years or less. All participants were enrolled the same entry-level non-auditioned choral class. A survey was given to all choral students at the school which provided demographic information about the overall school choral program. Data collection methods included: semi-structured, in-depth interviews, student and teacher surveys, observations, focus groups, and dialogue journal writing collected over a ten-month period. Participants were encouraged to write journal entries in their native language. Lind's study of classroom environment and Gay's theory of culturally responsive teaching provided two important frameworks for analysis and interpretation of data. Data were coded through the NVivo software system for processing qualitative research. The data were analyzed and interpreted to create four narrative case studies. Findings suggested that the acculturation process for immigrant teenagers entails multiple dimensions with distinct outcomes depending on students' personal histories and educational backgrounds. Data revealed teacher dependence on contextual language in the choral classroom language as a vehicle for transfer of musical knowledge and that English language learners (ELL) are sometimes placed at a disadvantage in the choral classroom because of this reliance. Findings implied that some curricular norms in secondary choral classes such as vocal warm-ups, musical notation, sight reading requirements and choral festivals can be viewed as culturally incongruent with immigrants students' previous musical experiences. Data suggested that immigrant students in choral classes viewed the minimum requirements for participation in a school group, opportunities for public performance, and daily use of English in a non-threatening atmosphere as benefits of their overall high school education.Item The Use of Figurative Language in the Construction of Musical Meaning: A Case Study of Three Sixth Grade General Music Classes(2003-12-09) Sakadolskis, Emilija A.; McCarthy, Marie; Curriculum and InstructionABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: THE USE OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MUSICAL MEANING: A CASE STUDY OF THREE SIXTH GRADE GENERAL MUSIC CLASSES Emilija A. Sakadolskis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2003 Dissertation directed by: Professor Marie McCarthy, Chair, Music Education The intent of this study was to examine how musical meaning is constructed using figurative language (i.e., tropes such as metaphor) in the music classroom. The researcher observed three sixth-grade general music classes taught by one teacher in a private school for girls. Audio recordings of nineteen class sessions, including individual discourse of the teacher and six students, were transcribed for analysis. Theories of cognitive linguistics were applied to the data, with the theory of embodied schema guiding the analysis. Five schemata involving figurative language emerged: containment and entity, personification, verticality, regularity vs. irregularity, and location, space and motion. An additional emergent category of timbre articulations was presented. Analysis showed the ubiquitous use of the container metaphor with its in-out spatial orientation for musical events, elements, and even for persons. There were personifications of music, perceived as an "agent" who implies, speaks, and has needs. Classroom discourse frequently involved polysemous words such as up or down, high or low. Students offered value judgments of musical events based on their notions of regularity or irregularity. To a surprising extent they rejected dissonance and non-Western tunings which they perceived to be irregular rather than different. There were references to music as an external force that causes movement, occupies space, and has a clear location. Students lacking the professional vocabulary to describe timbre used similes, analogies, onomatopoeia, and synthetic metaphors. Several pedagogical implications were identified. The ambiguous meanings of polysemous words offer opportunities to explore cognitive relationships that exist between those different meanings. Teachers can bring musical meaning to consonance and dissonance by verbally bridging the chasm between disparate understandings of those concepts. Student strategies dealing with timbre descriptions point to the efficacy of developing metaphoric capacities in students. Teaching methods involving kinesthetic experience support the notion of embodied cognitive schemata, but further discussion is needed concerning the relationship among sensory experience, mental representation, and linguistic expression in the construction of musical meaning. Data analysis shows that figurative language is essential in constructing musical meaning, even as it challenges established educational thinking and practice.