Techniques & Research in Music Education

1. Techniques & Research in Music Education Class 1 Introduction Types of Research Project Overview Ethics in Research

2. Introductions • Introductions • Call me Phil • Millikin, NU, UofI • Calvin 10 yrs. • School Bands 14 yrs. • Who are You? • Syllabus – please read • Changes as needed • Laptops? • www.pmhmusic.weebly.com

3. 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 • Research = Read? Teach? 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].

4. Research: What it is… • Systematic mode of inquiry based on the scientific method: • 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

5. 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.

6. Collective Research (Consensus) • A gradual accumulation and synthesis of knowledge that leads to the discovery of truth • Deductive mode (general to specific/broad theory to a specific hypothesis) • Students who work, drop music in HS • There will be significantly more JRs and SRs. in HS ensembles who do not have a job vs. those who do not. • Inductive mode (specific to general/specific observations lead to patterns and general conclusions) • In interviews of HS students who drop music, many report the need or desire to work one of their top 5 reasons. • Inductive-Deductive (specific to general to specific…/research involves combinations of both modes) • Qualitative to quantitative research

7. Collective Research/Consensus • Nothing is really proven • Research is ongoing • Many studies seem irrelevant until connected w/ other research. Examples: [next slide] Deductive Inductive

8. 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.

9. 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]

10. Types of research (cont.) • Qualitative/Ethnographic - naturalistic portrayal of people or groups in their environment, sociology/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 • Content-Analyses – examining content of periodicals, conferences, concert/contest programs, textbooks, curricula, etc. to determine trends & gaps.

11. Qualitative Post Positivist/postmod. Natural Setting Observation Narrative Human data collector Conclusions = interp. of observations Situational gnrlizability. Value bound Quantitative vs. Qualitative Quantitative • Positivist/modernism • Designed setting • Experiment/Test • Statistics & numbers • Instrument-non human • Conclusions = based on data • Generalize to pop. • Value free[?]

12. Standards for Research • Research based vs. non-research 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 Vs.

13. 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

14. Introduction to Proposal Project

15. 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?

16. 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 on pmhmusic

17. Part I - Introduction • Introductory Paragraphs • In 2-4 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.”). You may elaborate, but this section should be brief (no more than 2 paragraphs). • Need for Study • 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). • Research Questions/Hypothesis • Limitations (not obvious)

18. Dorfman & Lipscomb, 2005Research Questions What do graduate students know about research in music education when they enter research methods classes? How do graduate students entering research methods classes feel about research as an area of study during their initial graduate school experiences? How do the attitudes of these graduate students change after completing an introductory course in research methods? To what extent does knowledge about research methods change how graduate students teach music?

19. 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 • 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

20. 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)

21. Part 3 - Methodology • Description of procedures • Instruments, tests, & surveys • How data will be analyzed • How study will be organized

22. Ethics in Research

23. 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

24. Protecting from Harm Physical “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male” (1932-1972) 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 Informed Consent/assent (minors)

25. 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]

26. 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

27. Broader Ethical Issues… Falsification of data Corruption of the review process (not 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

28. Resources/Review • Research books • 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

29. Terms/Concepts from Today • Research Definition • Peer-Review vs. Non Peer-Review • Research Based vs. Non-Research Based • Experimental Research • Descriptive Research • Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research • Historical Research • Philosophical Research • Correlation Research • APA Style • Consensus • Deductive • Inductive • IRB • Research Proposal Framework

30. For Tomorrow • Readings (choose 1): [Underline what you don’t understand] • See Syllabus or web site • Examine 1 Thesis proposal from web site • Begin ID research topic and putting together list of sources (copy info & links aiming for at least 10 sources. Email me the list) - pmh3@calvin.edu • Non-graded quiz over today’s notes – review(?)