This year’s 2nd


Annual MMC Research Symposium


showcased much interesting research! Dr. Carlos Rodriguez, Chair of The University of Michigan Music Education Department was the keynote speaker. His topic was “Caught Between Changing Methodologies: An Attempt to Unpack the Research Process.” In addition there were two presentations and three “Works in Progress” that were discussed in Roundtable. These presentations are as follows.


Presentations:


The Effects of Descriptive Rubrics on Undergraduate Ratings of Choral Performances Dr. Charles Norris, Grand Valley State University


Teachers‘ Beliefs Regarding Composition in Elementary General Music: Definitions, Values, and Impediments Heather Shouldice, Michigan State University


Roundtable Discussions:


Topic: ‘I don’t sing’: Exploring perceptions of selected high school students Sarah Bowman, The University of Michigan


Topic: Perceptions of a Teacher and Speech Pathologist Regarding the Use of Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory with Children with Autism Elizabeth Crabtree, The University of Michigan


Topic: Perspectives in Adult Musical Engagement Nick Denis, Wayne State University.


There were twelve submissions for the Poster Session. The authors came from several universities and school districts. We in the research community are very proud of all of them! Six of their abstracts are printed below. The rest will be published in the next issue of the Educator.


Student and Teacher Learning Preferences in the Elementary General Music Classroom: A Review of Literature


Angela Biedenbender, The University of Michigan


Why do students fail at school? What are the students doing wrong? What strategies are the teachers using that do not allow students to learn? Why do some students succeed and others fail? People have been asking these questions for a long time. Initially, blame would be placed on the students for not paying attention, on their socioeconomic status or ethnicity. As history evolved, so did beliefs about problems with education. The focus then became the schools,


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teachers, their methods and approaches used in the classroom. (Dunn & Dunn, 1978). Today’s classrooms are becoming more and more diverse and teachers are expected to develop strategies that reach every student (Immanuel, 2011; Williams, 1999). Not all students learn the same way and teachers must be willing to adjust their personal teaching preferences to meet the demands of students in their classrooms, however, teachers often teach the way they prefer to learn instead of recognizing the diverse learning styles of their students (Hawk & Shah, 2007; Flannery, 1996; Labuta & Smith, 1996; McKeachie, 1995; Fatt, 1993).


This review addresses teacher and student learning preferences in the elementary general music classroom. Related literature discusses several themes: (1) learning style models (2) music and learning styles, and (3) twenty-first century teaching strategies. Learning style models developed by: Kolb, Honey-Mumford, Myers-Briggs, Gregorc, Swassing-Barbe and Fleming are described. These models mutually support the idea that teachers who develop an awareness of learning styles and use multiple strategies are most successful reaching the learning needs of their students. Several studies have been conducted in middle and upper level music settings, but few studies have been conducted in the elementary general music classroom discussing teacher and student learning styles. The literature suggests that student achievement increases when teachers become aware of their student’s learning styles (Pritchard, 2005).


Questions for further research include: (1) What obstacles prevent teachers from recognizing the learning styles of their students in the elementary general music classroom? (2) How do teacher’s perceptions of their own learning preference influence their ability to use other teaching styles? (3) When multiple approaches are used, do teachers tend to favor their preferred style over another style?


Benefits and Motivations for Adults Continued Engagement in Music: A Review of the Literature


Nick Denis, Wayne State University


The Music Educators National Conference recommitted to extending the mission of school music into the community and into adulthood at the Tanglewood Symposium of 1967 (Myers, 2005). Many avenues greet


Outreach to Research


Terese Volk Tuohey, Research Editor


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