| Description |
This study investigated the attitudes of elementary-school students toward the use of learning centers as a tool of instruction in the elementary general music classroom. Participants (N=24) were members of two third-grade classes in a small K-12 independent school in Colorado. Participants experienced five learning centers (Listening, Reading, Creating, Technology, and Games) as part of a unit of study in their regular third-grade general music curriculum. Following the conclusion of the instructional unit, participants were asked to rate their experiences using a Likert-type scale called a "smile-o-meter." In addition, they answered two open-ended survey questions in which they used their own words to describe what they liked most and least about their participation in the learning centers. Analyses of means and standard deviations indicated that students enjoyed the centers in the following order, from most to least: Creating, Games, Listening, Technology, and Reading. Results from the open-ended survey questions showed that students enjoyed the following activities in the centers: (a) listening to music, (b) having fun, (c) using instruments, (d) playing games, (e) working in groups, and (f) other noncategorized reasons. Reasons cited by some participants for not liking the learning centers were: (a) their group interactions were negative; (b) they were frustrated with instructional tasks (misunderstanding, too easy/difficult, etc.); (c) they did not enjoy reading; (d) they did not enjoy/understand the technology; and (e) they preferred to work alone. The implication that students enjoy activities involving the use of musical instruments and the chance to create music corresponded with the researcher's expectations and pilot study results. The results of this study, including the comments of the participants and their overall enjoyment of their experiences in the centers, suggest that more attention should be given to the possibility of using learning centers as a means of differentiating instruction in the elementary general music classroom. |
