Judith A. Jellison

Empirical Description of the Pace of Music Instruction.

The present study was designed to assess novice teachers* perceptions of timing in music instruction and to identify the aspects of timing that are associated with positive perceptions of instructional pacing. We selected eight 1-3-minute excerpts from teaching-practicum videotapes of four novice teachers teaching in a choral rehearsal, a band rehearsal, and two elementary music classrooms. Each teacher appeared in two excerpts that differed with regard to the pace of instruction depicted in each. Novice teachers (N = 44) viewed the videotaped excerpts and evaluated the pace of instruction along six semantic differential scales: fast—slow; appropriate—inappropriate; tense—relaxed; smooth-uneven; too fast-too slow; good-bad. Subjects discriminated among the faster and slower examples on five of the six evaluation dimensions, and among teachers on all six dimensions. Subjects rated the pace of instruction more positively when the rates of student performance episodes and teacher activity episodes were higher rather than lower, and when the mean durations of teacher and student activity were shorter rather than longer. These variables may function as operational measures of the pace of instruction in music performance.

Talking about Music: Interviews with Disabled and Nondisabled Children

The purpose of this study was to describe, categorize, and compare data concerning music preferences, experiences, and skills obtained from interviews with 228 students labeled “disabled” (n = 73) or “nondisabled” (n = 155). A structured assessment interview was used by university student proctors to collect information from the students in four age-groups. Students identified by their respective schools as eligible for special education services constituted the group labeled “disabled.” Questions developed for the interview focused on listening preferences and experiences, musical instrument preferences and performance, and singing and clapping (steady beat) performance. Following procedures consistent with naturalistic inquiry, audiotapes and transcriptions of the interviews were content-analyzed, and categories were developed from the responses. Perhaps the most notable outcome of this study is the similarity of responses between students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers. Results are discussed specific to music curriculum development, the integrated music classroom, and peer/teacher acceptance.

On-Task Participation of Typical Students close to and away from Classmates with Disabilities in an Elementary Music Classroom

The purpose of this case study was to assess on-task participation by individual typical students in an inclusive elementary music classroom when students were close to and away from classmates with disabilities. Ten typical fourth-grade children in an inclusive music class of 24 students, two of whom had disabilities, were selected for observation. No specific instructions were given to students regarding interactions with peers with disabilities. Computerized software was used to record on-task and off task behaviors. Findings show differences among typical students related to the two classmates with disabilities and in different locations. Results discussed include individual differences among typical students, location and the academic success of students with and without disabilities, and the importance of teaching typical children when and how to interact with their classmates with disabilities.

An Investigation of the Factor Structure of a Scale for the Measurement of Children's Attitudes toward Handicapped Peers within Regular Music Environments.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the structure of a newly developed survey instrument for the measurement of childrens attitudes toward severely handicapped (retarded) peers integrated into music school and recreational environments. An Acceptance Within Music Scale (AMS) was developed to parallel items on a general Acceptance Scale (AS) that has demonstrated validity and reliability (Meyer, 1981). Factor analysis was used to explore the structure of the AMS and to determine whether the dimensions found are similar to those dimensions being assessed by the AS (i.e., social contact willingness, actual contact-wheelchair, name calling, and deviance consequation). Both the AS and AMS were administered to 136 public school students in an elementary school specifically selected as a low-contact school. No severely or moderately retarded students were enrolled in the school. Results suggest that there are four dimensions assessed by the AMS. Based on factor-loadings and item-by-item comparisons, the factors found for the AMS were very similar to those dimensions suggested by Meyer. The most prominent factor and the factor with identical correspondence was social contact willingness.

It's about Time: Senior Researcher Acceptance Address

It is indeed a great honor to receive this award. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the National Executive Board of MENC, to the Music Education Research Council (MERC) and its Executive Committee, and to the members of the Society for Research in Music Education. It is a particular honor for me to join the ranks of the distinguished scholars who have received the Senior Researcher Award since its inception in 1988: Clifford K. Madsen, Allen P. Britton, Albert LeBlanc, James C. Carlson, Cornelia Yarbrough, Rudolph E. Radocy, John Geringer, and Patricia S. Campbell.l I can think of no greater honor than to have the opportunity to talk with all of you, my esteemed colleagues and members of SRME, and I thank you for being here on this occasion. I am indebted, for all that they have taught me, to the many students whom I have been fortunate to work with-typical children and children with disabilities, undergraduate and graduate studentsand to my colleagues and friends as well. A single teacher can have a profound effect on the lives of many individuals, and I count myself fortunate to be among those who began their careers as teachers and researchers under the tutelage of a master teacher and researcher. For that early guidance on a path to question, a path that has influenced my thinking forever, I am grateful to my teacher, mentor, and dear friend, Cliff Madsen.

Music Research in Inclusive School Settings: 1975 to 2013.

A search for music research in inclusive music school settings (1975–2013) resulted in 22 descriptive and experimental studies that can be classified and coded according to settings, participants, research variables, measures of generalization, and effectiveness of the interventions. Half of the studies reported data from both students with disabilities and typically developing students. All participants were at preschool or elementary levels; no participants were at secondary levels. Less than half of the studies were conducted in music classrooms, but few measured music knowledge or skills; most often, social skills were measured. Only a few studies reported the generalization of learned skills (music or other) to new situations. Participants with disabilities were most often described as having intellectual disabilities or autism; high-incidence populations (e.g., learning disabilities) were underrepresented. In a large majority of studies, authors reported effective outcomes for interventions (most were specifically designed music activities), and some reported partially effective results. Based on the results of this review, we conclude there is a pressing need to expand research in inclusive music education settings and answer the many questions about students’ participation and effective teaching strategies for classrooms and rehearsals that include a wide range of student abilities.

Peer-Assisted Learning and Interactions in Inclusive Music Classrooms Benefits, Research, and Applications

Contemporary music classrooms include a beautiful mosaic of individual children from diverse backgrounds, children who vary considerably in their capabilities, interests, and levels of motivation. Some of the variations we observe are related to social skills and knowledge. The effects of appropriate classroom behavior and positive social relationships on children’s success in school are well known. Although ideas associated with peer-assisted learning may be familiar to many music teachers, they take on greater importance when considering how these practices can help build a climate of inclusion in music classrooms and create positive classroom environments where all children learn and have a sense of belonging. The purpose of this article is to describe the benefits of positive, frequent peer interactions; to describe briefly the underlying theories and research supporting the practices of peer-assisted learning; and to provide classroom applications and benefits of music teachers’ collaborations with other professionals.

Learning Together: The Instinct to Do Good and Peer-Assisted Strategies That Work

Children have a natural proclivity to teach, help, cooperate, and empathize with others, and these interactions can have positive benefits for children’s emotional, social, and cognitive development. This article is about ways music teachers can design peer-assisted music learning activities that will benefit everyone in the class and ultimately contribute to creating a classroom culture of inclusion.