Techniques & Research in Music
Education
Class 1
Introduction
Types of Research
Project Overview
Ethics in Research
Introductions
• Introductions
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Call me Phil
Millikin, NU, UofI
Calvin 11 yrs.
School Bands 14 yrs.
• Who are You?
• Syllabus – please read
– Changes as needed
– Laptops?
– www.pmhmusic.weebly.
com
Research - Course Intro
• Personal experience w/ research
– No one went into music ed. b/c they love research!
– As a young teacher, I was not interested
– Your prior experience?
• Best way to learn it is to read it and do it!
– No readings on statistics or methodology
– We use stats to study music education
– At this point research is my focus (historical and
quantitative)
– Course moves fast! PLEASE ask questions, esp. when
something is unclear. [May be something I don’t know. I
will find out].
Research: What it is…
• Systematic mode of inquiry based on the scientific
method:
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Define the question
Gather information and resources (observe – Lit rev.)
Form hypothesis (theory about what will happen)
Perform experiment/study and collect data
Analyze data
Interpret data and draw conclusions. Accept or reject
hypothesis & perhaps form new hypotheses
– Publish results (dissemination)
– Retest (frequently done by other scientists-replication)
• BEST PRACTICE
Definition (Phelps, et. al, 2005)
• The identification and
isolation of a problem into a
workable plan; the
implementation of that plan
to collect the data needed;
and the synthesis,
interpretation, and
presentation of the
collected information into
some format which readily
can be made available to
others.
Collective Research (Consensus)
• A gradual accumulation
and synthesis of
knowledge that leads to
the discovery of truth
• Nothing is really proven
• Research is ongoing
• Many studies seem
irrelevant until
connected w/ other
research. Examples:
[next slide]
Examples of “Abstract” Topics?
• Burnsed, V. (2001). Differences in preference for subtle dynamic
nuance between conductors, middle school students, and
elementary school students. Journal of Research in Music
Education, 49, 49-56.
• Darrow, A., Haack, P., & Kuribayashi, F. (1987). Descriptors and
preferences for Eastern and Western musics by Japanese and
American nonmusic majors. Journal of Research in Music Education,
35, 237-48.
• Furman, C. E., & Duke, R. A. (1988). Effect of majority consensus on
preferences for recorded orchestral and popular music. Journal of
Research in Music Education, 36, 220-31.
• LeBlanc, A., & Sherrill, C. (1986). Effect of vocal vibrato and
performers sex on children's music preference. Journal of Research
in Music Education, 34, 222-37.
• Morrison, S. J. (1998). A comparison of preference responses of
white and African-American students to musical versus
musical/visual stimuli. Journal of Research in Music Education, 46,
208-22.
Deductive Mode (top-down)
– Deductive mode (general to specific/broad theory to a
specific hypothesis)
• General Theory: Elementary students’ perception of dynamic
contrast increases as they get older
• Hypothesis: Students in 4th grade will be able to hear volume
differences in music to a greater extent than 1st graders.
• Observe & Collect data (how?)
• Draw Conclusions
Inductive Mode (bottom-up)
– Inductive mode (specific to general/specific observations
lead to patterns and general conclusions)
• Observation – Many males in my 9th gr. choir do not sing
confidently
• Look for Patterns – In individual auditions, I notice that many do
not match pitch
• Tentative Hypothesis – MS Choir directors in our district are not
familiar w/ strategies for adolescent voice
• Theory – [we have MS choir directors from many institutions]
Undergraduate institutions are not preparing teachers to teach
male changing voice
– Inductive-Deductive (specific to general to
specific…/research involves combinations of both modes)
Types of Research
• Descriptive - determine characteristics of a group or
phenomenon (surveys, content analyses,
observation)
• Correlational - determine relationships among two or
more variables (explores cause and effect but doesn’t
determine cause & effect)
• Experimental - intervening to determine cause and
effect (treatment vs. control grs./manipulation of
variables)
• Causal-comparative - determining differences among
groups, after the fact - exploring cause and effect –
post hoc research [e.g., smoking and singing range]
Types of research (cont.)
• Content-Analyses – examining content of periodicals,
conferences, concert/contest programs, textbooks,
curricula, etc. to determine trends & gaps.
• Qualitative/Ethnographic - naturalistic portrayal of
people or groups in their environment, sociology or
anthropology (also descriptive)
• Historical - studying the past through primary sources
(also descriptive)
• Philosophical - the act of doing philosophy (based on
philosophical thought & literature)
• Action - inquiring for the sake of a specific situation,
active participation/stakeholders (perhaps your project)
• Meta-Analyses - combining results from many studies to
draw a more powerful conclusion
Models of Action Research
Quantitative vs. Qualitative
Positivism is the philosophy of science that information derived from logical and mathematical treatments and reports of sensory
experience is the exclusive source of all authoritative knowledge, and that there is valid knowledge (truth) only in this derived
knowledge.
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Quantitative
Positivist/modernism
Designed setting
Experiment/Test
Statistics & numbers
Instrument-non human
Conclusions = based on
data
Generalize to pop.
Value free[?]
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Qualitative
Post Positivist/postmod.
Natural Setting
Observation
Narrative
Human data collector
Conclusions = interp. of
observations
Situational gnrlizability.
Value bound
Standards for Research
• Research based vs. nonresearch based
– Opinion vs. conclusions based
on data
– personal experience vs.
designed study
• Peer review vs. non-peer
review
– All research journals are PR
– Some non-research
periodicals are PR
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Research in Music ED
• Research journal list in syllabus
• Open access journals
– Available to all for free
online
• In print journals
– Subscription
– Usually also online to
subscribers and through
college databases
• Most if not all are accessible
online through DePaul library,
NAfME membership, or other
sources
Introduction to
Proposal Project
Step One – Define a Topic
• What do you wonder
about music teaching &
learning?
• What interests you?
• Testable?
• Important?
– How will your study
contribute to or change
your practice and that of
others?
• Feasible?
– Time?
– Money?
– Other resources?
Step 2 – Design Study
• How will you research your topic?
• What genre is appropriate?
– Descriptive
• Survey
• Content analysis
– Experimental
• Compare experimental group(s) w/ control group
• Master’s theses at DePaul are ordinarily descriptive
or experimental
• APA style – see style guide at
http://pmhmusic.weebly.com/depaul---med-492-501.html
Part I - Introduction
• Introductory Paragraphs
– In 3-5 paragraphs, provide background for the report. Citing or quoting others
who have written of the importance of the issue is especially appropriate. This
section should lead up to your purpose statement.
• Purpose of Study
– In ONE SENTENCE, tell us exactly what your project is (i.e. “The purpose of this
project is to compare middle school band student achievement in sight
reading after a two week program of daily practice in sight reading with
achievement before it.”).
• Research Questions/Hypothesis
• Need for Study
– Usually, this is a continuation of your introduction. Who will benefit from this
study? What implications might your findings have on current and future
practice in music education?
• Definition of Terms
– Define any unusual terms or terms that will have a specific and unusual
meaning in your document (if there are any).
• Limitations (not obvious)
Dorfman & Lipscomb (2005)
Research Questions
1. What do graduate students know about research in music education
when they enter research methods classes?
2. How do graduate students entering research methods classes feel
about research as an area of study during their initial graduate school
experiences?
3. How do the attitudes of these graduate students change after
completing an introductory course in research methods?
4. To what extent does knowledge about research methods change how
graduate students teach music?
Part 2 – Review of Research
• Why a lit review?
– Science = Gradual accumulation of knowledge towards
truth
– To build an ‘evidence’ based argument for your study
rationale
• To identify promising and not-so-promising trends from previous
studies
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To delimit the boundaries of the research problem
To avoid repeating mistakes of others
To strengthen your methodology
Do avoid unnecessary duplication of research
• Use models (such as lit. review from today)
• Synthesize results. Use transitional statements.
• See syllabus on abstracts
HINT!! - “Treeing Back”
• Find a study that is related to your topic area
• Retrieve study and examine the reference list
• Note other studies that may be also be
relevant
• Retrieve the other studies
• Repeat… …until you start to see that same
‘pool’ of studies recurring over and over
– This is a good method for evaluating whether you
have come close to exhausting the extant research in
a given area
– This is also a good method for determining which
studies have had the greatest impact in your topic
area (e.g., through number of times cited)
Part 3 - Methodology
• Description of
procedures
• Instruments, tests, &
surveys
• How data will be
analyzed
• How study will be
organized
Ethics in Research
Basic Question…
• Will any psychological or physical harm
come to anyone as a result of my research?
– The protection of participants from harm
– Ensuring confidentiality of research data
– Deception of subjects only when integral to the
study, yet must still be consistent with the
statements above
Protecting from Harm
• Physical
– “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male” (19321972)
• Treatment withheld for syphilis patients, even after 1947 when
penicillin had become standard effective treatment
• Psychological
– How similar are the conditions of the research to ‘normal
operating procedures?’
– Sensitive information
• Full disclosure of possible risks
• Option to not participate or withdraw
• Informed Consent/assent (minors)
Ensuring Confidentiality
• Names removed from forms
• Coding
– who has access, where is it stored
• Anonymity
• Destroying data
• No identifying information in print (write in
generalities and in aggregate terms when possible)
[Exceptions-locations or institutional names]
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
• Neutral committee that weighs risk
• Determine if informed consent is in place (parents
of children)
• Ensure plans for debriefing subjects
• Review Types:
– Exempt – no review needed
– Expedited – quick review possible
– Full – thorough review/discussion of procedures
Broader Ethical Issues…
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Falsification of data
Corruption of the review process (non-blind-journals)
Multiple submission
Duplicate submission
Piece-meal publication
Authorship
– Principal vs. Secondary
– Profs. and students
– Cowriter vs. research assistant
• Plagiarism - paraphrasing vs. lifting
• Presentations and audiences (state to national, not other way
around)
• Money - conflict of interest
Resources/Review
• Research books
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American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American psychological
association (6th ed.). Washington DC: Author.
Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., Borg, W. R. (2006). Educational research: An introduction (8th ed.).
Allyn & Bacon
Phelps, R. P., Sadoff, R. H., Warburton, E. C., & Ferrara, L. (2005). A guide to research in music
Education (5th ed.). Lanham MD: Scarecrow Press.
Phillips, K. H. (2008). Exploring research in music education & music therapy. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Salkind, N. J. (Ed.). (2007). Encyclopedia of measurement and statistics (Vols. 1-3). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Gale Reference.
• Terms from Syllabus
Terms/Concepts from Today
• Research Definition
• Research Based vs. Non-Research
Based
• Peer-Review vs. Non Peer-Review
• Experimental Research
• Descriptive Research
• Qualitative vs. Quantitative
Research
• Historical Research
• Philosophical Research
• Correlation Research
• APA Style
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Consensus
Deductive
Inductive
IRB
Research Proposal Framework
For Tomorrow
• Read, then write two abstracts for articles (not lit reviews)
related to your study.
– Taken from list for today.
• Read entire article
• write summary
• compare w/ abstract if there is one
• Email to me as soon as you finish
• Read:
– One article from reading list
– All current abstracts from the JRME and Update.
Writing an Abstract
• Include an APA citation
• Accurate & dense w/
information
• Nonevaluative (not a
review)
• Coherent, concise,
readable. Use active voice
– Highlight most important
aspects
• 150-200 words. (Use word
count tool)
1. Purpose of the study
2. Participants (subjects)
& their important
characteristics
3. Methodology (what
the researcher[s] did)
4. Basic findings
5. Conclusions &
Implications
Sample 1
(159 words)
• This study examined performance anxiety (PA) among middle school vocal
soloists. /Participants included male (n = 63) and female (n = 221) middle
school students (N = 284) participating in an all-district solo and ensemble
festival. /Students completed the Smith Performance Anxiety Inventory
(SPAI) immediately following their performance. This survey consisted of
15-closed response questions measuring various physical and emotional
phenomena on a seven-step Likert scale. /Total SPAI scores indicate that
72% (n = 204) of participants reported moderate to high levels of anxiety
and that these students experienced trembling, sweaty palms, and
difficulty concentrating at significantly higher levels (p < .01) than other
responses measured by the SPAI. Data also indicated that among students
that experienced moderate to high levels of PA (n = 204), 86% (n = 175)
were female. /Recommendations for managing PA include 1) openly
discussing PA among students, 2) videotaping performance for selfassessment, and 2) simulating the performance environment many times
before the event.
Hash, P. M. (2011). Effect of pullout lessons on the academic achievement of eighth
grade band students (2011). Update: Applications of Research in Music
Education, 30(1), 16-22. (166 words)
• The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of pullout
instrumental lessons on the academic achievement of eighth-grade band
students. /Participants (N = 353) included 292 nonband students and 61
band students pulled once per week for music lessons in a single suburban
K–8 school district in Midwestern United States. /Data indicated that
eighth-grade band students achieved significantly higher mean scores on
the ACT Explore test than students who dropped band prior to eighth
grade (n = 58) or never enrolled in the program (n = 234). In addition, no
significant differences existed between all band students and the highest
achieving nonband students, or between students who discontinued band
after at least 1 year and those who never enrolled. /Although band
students in this study tended to be more academically successful than
nonband students at the outset, these results support the assertion that
pullout lessons had no negative effect on academic achievement,
regardless of the number of years students participated in the program.