Flying to the Moon with an Eye Toward Home: Music Education Research and Its Practical Application for the PK-12 Music Educator

FLYING TO THE MOON WITH AN EYE TOWARD HOME: MUSIC EDUCATION RESEARCH AND ITS PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR THE PK-12 MUSIC EDUCATOR

SARAH L. DESKINS, NILES CITY SCHOOLS

This past July marked 50 years since the first human landed on the moon. That person was Neil Armstrong, a native Ohioan and NASA astronaut, who once said, “Research here is creating new knowledge,” referring to aeronautical flight exploration (Levine, 2005). It was the foundation of new knowledge that enabled Armstrong’s initial flight to the moon, but it was Armstrong himself who took the first literal steps in a new atmosphere, and with those steps, these now famous words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

The reader may be wondering how this is related to music education. First, music education researchers also explore things they do not fully understand in order to create new knowledge. Additionally, just as research was the basis for the first steps on the moon for Neil Armstrong, so, too, music education research can provide a solid foundation for the steps of everyday heroes in the music classroom—PK- 12 practitioners. Just like Armstrong, attempting steps into the unknown can be both exciting and disconcerting; however, with solid research supporting the new journey, practitioners can feel confident in attempting these practical applications in their classrooms.

Why Should Research Matter to the Practitioner?

As a practitioner, I have regularly accessed professional development resources through music education publications, such as TRIAD, and looked for ways to implement some of these new ideas in my classroom, just like many of my fellow PK-12 music educators. Apart from these resources, the idea of music education research seemed out there, metaphorically equivalent to a trip to the moon perhaps, and only truly accessible to those considered living in some other space. What I discovered early in my graduate studies, however, was something quite different, for research was much more accessible and applicable than I had previously supposed. Now, as a graduate student-researcher, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of research in music education to better inform my practice in the classroom, as I utilize music education research publications regularly..

Another way in which my perspective has changed in recent years, is that I have gained a better understanding of the similar desire of both the music education practitioner and the researcher to contribute to the profession in practical ways. Both seek answers to larger questions that affect daily practices. The relationship of the researcher and the practitioner is ideally one of partnership. For example, the researcher might examine the questions and provide findings from previous studies, and the practitioner may work to implement these results in the music classroom. The joint goal is to improve music education practices, and “help students be better musicians, teachers become finer artisans, and music education a stronger profession” (Resta, 2018, p. 12-13).

Examples of Recent Research & Its Application

With the realization that the purpose of music education research is ultimately meant to support the practicing music educator, it is important to consider recent research and its application to the music classroom. In the 2018 publication of Contributions to Music Education (Vol. 43), a number of studies address issues relevant to practitioners. Several of these focus on younger students and general music. Two of these include: “Observations of and Perspectives on Musical Enjoyment in the Preschool Classroom” (Koops & Kuebel, 2018) and “Why Ask Why? Questions to Elicit Reasoned Intuitive Responses in an Elementary Music Program” (Downton, 2018). What follows is a brief description of each study, in conjunction with selected findings and implications.

Koops & Kuebel (2018) explore issues related to the enjoyment of preschoolers when engaged in musical activities. Signs and factors of enjoyment, as well its connection to other components of learning and life in the classroom, were clear themes that emerged as a result of this study. The practical application for PK-12 music educators is that enjoyment is an essential part of learning, particularly for young children, and in better understanding what our students enjoy and how this is expressed, we might be more effective in our lesson planning and curriculum choices.

Downton (2018) examines various kinds of questions that draw out more intuitive responses from fourth-grade students engaged in music-making activities using computer software. The results indicate that the practitioner is key in obtaining quality student responses, and that asking “Why?” is the most fitting way to encourage students to communicate their understanding of knowledge. Practically speaking, this means music teachers should encourage students to talk while they create, offer more open-ended types of questions, and keep in mind that students’ intuitions may be foundational to learning musical concepts, e.g. notation (Downton, 2018). Though the focus of these two studies is on general music with younger students, research has been conducted in a variety of music classroom settings such as band, choir, orchestra, and additional unique scenarios. The studies listed here are just brief examples of how utilizing research can yield valuable insight for practitioners and be applied to the music classroom.

Joint Efforts of Researcher & Practitioner

Personally, I view my role as a practitioner and researcher as two sides of the same coin. There are similarities but also differences. As a researcher, I desire for more practitioners to have easy access to music education research findings and to utilize those regularly. As a practitioner, I am aware that the daily realties and often-busy professional lives of PK- 12 music educators may indeed leave precious little time to explore these resources. While both perspectives have merit, it

is important for researchers and practitioners to work together in new ways for ongoing improvement of practices in the music classroom. By cultivating a shared respect for the work and views of the other in conjunction with our joint efforts, this will ultimately yield positive results for our students.

Bridging the Gap Through Easy Access to Music Education Research Journals A way to bridge the gap between research and practice is through open conversations with our researcher or practitioner counterparts. This might come about through informal opportunities but may be more likely to occur in formal venues such as the annual OMEA Professional Development Conference. Otherwise, practitioners and researchers can communicate through publications such as TRIAD, in addition to accessing music education journals such as the OMEA publication, Contributions to Music Education: https://www. omea-ohio.org/cme.a5w. Several other journals now have free online access for NAfME members: https://nafme.org/ my-classroom/journals-magazines/. While one practitioner applying research might lead to small steps of progress for music education, a collective effort of many might lead to giant leaps for the profession. May it be so.

References

Downton, M. P. (2018). Why ask why? Questions to elicit reasoned intuitive responses in an elementary music program. Contributions to Music Education, 43, 175–195.

Koops, L. H., & Kuebel, C. R. (2018). Observations of and perspectives on musical enjoyment in the preschool classroom. Contributions to Music Education, 43, 59–76.

Levine, J. (2005). A long-overdue tribute. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/X-Press/ stories/2005/102105_Wings.html

Resta, C. (2018). Music education research as creative act. Contributions to Music Education, 43, 11–18.

Sarah L. Deskins is a third-year doctoral student in music education at Kent State University and a K-2 general music teacher for Niles City Schools. She previously taught general music in a K-8 private school setting and also maintained an active piano and voice studio for over twenty years. She holds degrees from West Virginia University (BME) and Kent State University (MME). Her research interests include feminist studies, sociological and historical perspectives, learning theories of motivation and self-regulation, and general music methodologies in music teaching and learning.