The Extent To Which Parental Supervision And Other Selected Factors Are Related To Achievement Of Musical And Technical-physical Characteristics By Beginning Instrumental Music Students.

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to determine the extent of relationship between amount of parental supervision of home practice and achievement of technical-physical (proper embouchure, acceptable hand position, correct instrument position, and correct posture) and musical (correct articulation, accurate melody, precise rhythm, and proper phrasing) performance objectives by beginning instrumental students. Ancillary problems were to investigate relationships between student achievement and (1) amount of student home practice, (2) Musical Aptitude Profile (MAP) scores, (3) expressed interest in music before beginning instrumental study, (4) student's age, (5) student's grade level, and (6) percentage of time English is spoken in the home. Consistency of student achievement after seven months was also assessed. The study involved twenty-five sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade wind instrument students. The Individualized Instructor--Preliminary Book was used as an initial method book, because it provides parents with clear directions for supervising and assisting students during home practice. Student achievement was ascertained by evaluating performances video taped at the conclusion of ten weeks of instruction. A second evaluation of the fourteen subjects remaining in the school took place at the end of seven months of study. Pearson product-moment and Spearman rank-order correlations comparing student achievement with amount of parental supervision of home practice resulted in coefficients that were statistically significant (p < .01). Analyses of variance using categorized levels of parental supervision supported these findings. The relationship between student achievement and amount of student home practice was found to be significant; however, the parent supervision variable displayed stronger relationships. Significance (p < .05) was found between MAP composite scores and student achievement of music criteria. No significance resulted when comparing MAP scores with technical-physical criteria. Comparing student achievement with expressed interest in music before study, amount of English spoken in the home, student age, and grade level of the students revealed no significant relationships. Correlation between the ten-week and seven-month evaluations was significant (p < .0002), indicating considerable consistency of achievement through the school year.