Investigating effective practice in teaching instrumental music via videoconferencing to students aged 8 to 12

Abstract

<p>Using a social constructivist theoretical framework, this study investigated the teaching and learning of instrumental music lessons through videoconferencing to children aged 8 to 12.</p><p> I acted as a teacher-researcher, monitoring student learning behaviours in instrumental music lessons and documenting effective teaching practices that produced positive learning behaviours in student participants. Students were assigned a musical scale and repertoire suited for their musical standards to perform, which they subsequently practised for four weeks. The music performance evaluation was designed to assess student learning outcomes based on their progress throughout the course of the research.</p><p> Eight students between the ages of 8 and 12 were selected from a private school in Canberra, ACT. Over the course of four weeks, the recruited students participated in four 30-minute instrumental music lessons through videoconferencing. Based on their ages, student participants were placed into two groups. The first group consisted of children aged 8 to 10, and the second group consisted of students aged 11 to 12.</p><p> Positive learning behaviours and effective learning outcomes among students of both ages were documented and linked to the teaching approaches employed in terms of developing effective practices for teaching instrumental music via videoconferencing. Ultimately, the two age groups displayed comparable levels of achievement and positive learning behaviours, suggesting that there were no major differences between the 8 to 10 and 11 to 12 age groups.</p>