This study was designed to fill a need to explore the hypothesis that students who participate in middle school bands and or chorus have higher math cognitive functioning than their non-music peers. Using the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP), this study identified specific math domains that middle school music students showed higher functioning…

For music educators the continued mandate for inclusion has accentuated the importance of being able to instruct students with a wide variety of learning differences. Even so, music educators have expressed frustration with a potential lack of competencies and resources related to teaching students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was…

Despite continuous efforts to develop teacher observation and evaluation frameworks, one-size-fits-all evaluation tools may not be adequate for an instrumental music classroom. Since implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, teacher evaluation has shifted from a high-stakes accountability model to models focused on feedback and…

This study investigates the impact of the Trinidad and Tobago Panyard steelpan experiences on the development of the secondary school, forms one to three (middle school), music teachers' pedagogical implementation, and how these pedagogical practices are represented in today's classroom or not. The case study exploration acknowledges that while…

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate instrument-specific rating scales to evaluate the classroom performances of middle and high school students. The study is guided by the following research questions: 1. What does Rasch measurement analysis reveal about the psychometric properties (i.e., validity and reliability) of items,…

The study established the validity and reliability of a weighted individual performance-based assessment tool within the utility scope of middle school orchestral strings. The following research questions guided this study: 1. What specific string-playing behaviors and corresponding criteria validate a weighted individual performance-based…

This study examined secondary band directors' practices and attitudes about accommodating students with cognitive or behavioral exceptionalities in middle and high school band programs. The research questions were: 1. What are band directors' practices for including students with cognitive or behavioral exceptionalities in a middle or high school…

Lowel Mason highlights the importance of integrating music learning into the curriculum alongside other fundamental skills such as reading, promoting his belief in the transformative power of music education and its impact on child development. Mason stated, "Children must be taught music as they are taught to read" (Pemberton, 1992).…

This quantitative study explained relationships among independent variables that included instrumental music participation and achievement on a standardized test by participants in the ninth grade at a western Wisconsin high school. The ACT "Aspire" (2017) test is a vertically articulated, standards-based system of assessments. Subtest…

This dissertation analyzes data in order to answer the research question, "Do eighth grade students who have participated regularly in their school band programs for four consecutive years achieve higher scores in New Jersey's Grade Eight PARCC Assessment than students of similar ability who do not play a musical instrument?" Data was…

Mentoring dialogues are the discourse between the mentor, often referred to as the cooperating teacher, and the student teacher that may include feedback and reflection on practice (Hennissen, Crasborn, Brouwer, Korthagen, & Bergen, 2008; Tsui, Lopez-Real, Law, Tang, & Shum, 2001; Zeichner & Liston, 1985). While some researchers have…

A comparative analysis was used to study the results from a descriptive survey of selected middle school students in Grades 6, 7, and 8. Student responses to the survey tool was used to compare multiple variables of music participation and duration of various musical activities, such as singing and performing on instruments, to the mathematics…

The purpose of this study was to obtain the perceptions of cooperating teachers in beginning and middle school instrumental music regarding their student teachers' skills and knowledge both at the beginning and at the end of the student teaching experience. The related research has focused primarily on two areas of music teacher education. Program…

The purpose of this pretest-posttest comparative efficacy study was to analyze factors affecting literacy achievement of eighth grade middle school instrumental music students (n = 38) including (a) socioeconomic status (SES), (b) gender, (c) grade point average (GPA), (d) music motivation, (e) music involvement, and (f) instrument section. The…