Comparison of three approaches to teaching music fundamentals on achievement of beginning band students
Date
1986
Authors
Johnston MacMillan, Barbara Elaine
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Abstract
This study compared achievement gain of three heterogeneous band classes, each of which was instructed on music fundamentals using a different teaching approach, and subordinately, the relationship between achievement and certain intervening variables. Research seems to indicate that an eclectic instructional approach is ideal and further inquiry into different teaching methods seemed necessary to discover what contributions each could make to a course of study.
The three methods this study investigated were the lecture approach, the self directed text-workbook approach and the computer approach. The material used in each was Sandy Feldstein's Practical Theory (1982), in the form of his text-workbook and/or computer program, or material derived from it. A survey was developed to obtain information on each student's music background, etc. A questionnaire was used to discern student self- concept and learning style preference.
The subjects for this study were sixty-five grade seven beginning band students from two schools within the County of Vermilion River, Alberta. A pretest designed to measure students' preknowledge of music fundamentals was administered. The lecture approach group studied Feldstein's first twenty-eight lesson concepts. The subjects in the other two groups were individually assigned twenty-eight lessons according to their pretest results. At the end of the three to four month treatment period, a posttest, an extended version of the pretest, was given. Five months after the end of the program, the posttest was readministered to test for retention.
For purposes of direct compatibility, N = 49 are statistically valid although results from all sixty-five subjects are also provided in brackets as a matter of interest. In addition to a comparison of achievement on the post and retention tests the test questions were broken down into three categories for a further comparison of gain. According to analyses of covariance between each test and the pretest, and their three question categories by each treatment group, there was no significant difference at the P < .OS level.
A comparison for significant differences between percentages of specified factors found in each treatment group, which could have a bearing on achievement, was done. The obtained difference in the areas of enjoyment of elementary school music and family attendance at music concerts was significant while for the following it was not: gender, participation in private music lessons and parents' music background.
The Pearson correlation co-efficient was used to see if there was any relationship between achievement gain of the three treatment groups and Otis-Lennon measurement of intelligence. The results were significant at the P = .01 level for the lecture group only (.4813).
Analysis of variance was performed on each response to questions designed to measure student self-concept and learning structure preference. There were no significant differences among the three treatment groups except to the questions "I like Teachers To Keep Students Quiet". The most positive responses came from the two individualized approach treatment groups (means of 4.25 and 3.57 for the text-workbook and computer group respectively as compared with 2.86 for the lecture group).