E85.2130: Research in Music and Music Education

© Copyright 2001 John V. Gilbert All Rights Reserved

Course Description

This course serves as an introduction to research methodologies used in music and music education. It assumes that students have had comprehensive background in building bibliographies and using style guides for scholarly research. Students will examine issues surrounding qualititative and quantative procedures as they investigate research protocols for paradigms such as Descriptive Research, Aesthetic Inquiry, Philosophical Inquiry, Historical Research, Experimental Research, etc. Students will create websites where they will complete assignments and develop their topic proposals. Masters students will develop their topics for their M.A. Thesis or their Colloquy projects. Doctoral Students will develop their Topic Proposals.

Course Objectives

1. Students use the internet as a research tool and resource.

2. Students learn to search for databases and to retrieve information relevant to their research.

3. Students learn to use the internet to interact with the teacher and other students in the development of their work.

4. Students examine commonly used research paradigms for inquiry into problems posed in music and music education.

5. Students develop writing and formatting skills which will assist them in the preparation of their topic proposals.

6. Students use a style guide and apply to their research needs.

7. Students develop a draft of a topic proposal that includes a comprehensive, balanced, and focused bibliography.

8. Students learn to think critically and evaluate their work as well as the work of their peers.

9. Students learn to present, discuss, and publish their topic proposals, receiving critical input from their peers and colleagues.

TOPICS

Week 1: Orientation and Questionnaire
  • Introduction to Ourselves
  • Introduction To Research In Music And Music Education

    Week 2: Artist as Researcher/Musician as Researcher
  • Music and Research
  • Research as Learning
  • Teaching as Research
  • Performing and Creating as Research
  • Framing Research (Introduction to Concepts of Method and Methodology)

    Week 3: Knowing Yourself and Ways of Knowing

    Week 4: The Continuum of Qualitative and Quantitative Research
  • Paradigms of Inquiry

    Week 5: Aesthetic Inquiry

    Week 6: Philosophic Inquiry, Historical Research

    Week 7: Descriptive Research
  • Case Study
  • Ethnography

    Week 8: Descriptive Research
  • Survey
  • Questionnaire Development
  • Interviews

    Week 9: SPRING BREAK

    Week 10: Experimental Research

    Week 11: Linking Research Problems to Method


    Week 12: Tools of Research in Music and Music Education
  • Techniques, methods, and means of acquiring or gathering, treating, and processing (analyzing) information (data).

    Week 13: Interpreting and Communicating Results

    Week 14: Meta Research
  • Comparative Research
  • Applications of Research
  • Model Development
  • Theory Development

    Week 15: Poster-Presentations of Proposals/Projects

    Week 16: Final Examination

    TERM PROJECT

    1 Develop a brief Topic Proposal which delineates a design for a specific research topic in music or music education which you could use in your graduate study either as the final Colloquy project, M.A. thesis topic, or as the topic proposal for the doctoral degree.

    OR

    2. Research a topic and write an article for submission to a journal or magazine which you have identified in your field. Use the style guide established by the journal.

    EVALUATION

    Evaluation based on class participation in discussion, presentation, requested written assignments, final examination, and term project (as a topic proposal or article), presented as a paper and poster presentation embodying the principles of research learned in class.

    ASSIGNED TEXTBOOK

    Phelps, Roger P., Lawrence Ferrara and Thomas Goolsby..A Guide to Research in Music Education. .(4th ed.) The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Metuchen, N.J., 1993.

    REFERENCES

    Conference of Editors of Learned Journals. Guidelines for Journal Editors and Contributors. New York: Modern Language Assn., 1984.

    Duckles, Vincent, Michael A Keller, Adv. Ed. Music Reference and Research Materials: An Anotated Bibliography. 4th ed. New York: Schirmer, 1997.

    Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Reseach Papers. 5th ed. New York: The Modern Langage Association of America, 1999.

    - - - . MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 2nd ed. New York: The Modern Langage Association of America, 1998.

    Holoman, D. Kern. Writing About Music: A Stylesheet from the Editors of Nineteenth Century Music. Berkeley: U. of California Press, 1988.

    Li, Xia and Nancy B. Crane. Electronic Styles: A Handbook for Citing Electronic Information. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., 1996.

    Lowell, John Bruce. Style Manuals of the English-speaking World: a Guide. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1983.

    McGuire, Mary, Linda Stilborne, Melinda McAdams, and Laurel Hyatt. The Internet Handbook for Writers, Researchers, and Journalists. 2000-2001 ed. New York: Guilford, 2000.

    Mitchell, John Howard. Writing for Technical and Professional Journals. New York: Wiley, 1968.

    Music Educators National Conference, Richard Colwell (Ed.). Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning. New York: Schirmer Books. 1992.

    Phelps, Roger P., Lawrence Ferrara, and Thomas W. Goolsby. A Guide to Research in Music Education. 4th ed. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow. 1993.

    Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.5th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.

    Li, Xia and Nancy B. Crane. Electronic Styles: A Handbook for Citing Electronic Information. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., 1996.

    WEBSITES

    Cohen, Laura. Conducting Research on the Internet. <http://www.albany.edu/library/internet/research.html>.

    The Columbia Guide to Online Style. Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor. New York: Columbia UP, 1998. <http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos/idx_basic.html>

    MLA Style. <http://www.mla.org/>

    Electronic Reference Formats Recommended by the American Psychological Association. <http://www.apa.org/journals/webref.html>

    Music Education

    1. ArtsEdge: The National Arts and Education Information Network -- Linking the Arts and Education Through Technology
    2. ArtsEdNet: The Getty's Art Education Web Site (Developed by the Getty Education Institute for the Arts -- K-12)
    3. Canadian Electronic Clearinghouse for Music Instructional Resources (CECMIR) / A service of the Canadian University Music Society and the School of Music, Acadia University
    4. International Symposium for Progress in Music Education ?
    5. Internet Resources for Music Teachers
    6. K-12 Resources For Music Educators
    7. The Kennedy Center's Education Department
    8. Learning Musical Elements through Listening
    9. MENC Perception and Cognition Special Research Interest Group
    10. Music Education Launch Site
    11. Music Education Online -- A Guide to Music Education for Grades K-12
    12. Music Education Resource Base
    13. Music Education Resource Links (MERL) / Carla Piper, University of the Pacific School of Education
    14. Music Educator's Lesson Plan Resources ?
    15. Music Educators National Conference (MENC)
    16. Music in the Co-NECT Schools ?
    17. Music Online / National School Network Exchange
    18. MusicEducator's DR, Inc. (Wind ensemble recordings to be used as reference for band directors)
    19. Evergreen Curriculum, Saskatchewan Education's Online Bibliographies -- Arts Education
    20. Pentatonic Music Collection ?
    21. Rhythmic Music Education: Congress Report (International Music Council of UNESCO)
    22. Teacher Education Resource Links
    23. Technology in Music Education Integrating Technology into a Traditional Music Curriculum (PDF file)
    24. West Chester University School of Music -- Music Education Department (articles)
    25. The WorldBand Project ?