What's new in pedagogy research?(Professional Resources)

Many independent music teachers extend their teaching day and increase their income by offering various types of group and private instruction for preschool children. A recent study titled "Musical Play: A Case Study of Preschool Children and Parents," (1) explored preschool children's musical activities when they were given free time to experience the many instruments and play stations in the classroom. Previous research studies have identified and emphasized the importance of the process of freely exploring musical elements over the product of the learned music when working with young children. This study continued the exploration of this area with qualitative descriptions of the activities of two preschool classes.

The program consisted of two ten-week classes, one for two- and three-year-olds, and one for four- and five-year-olds. The parents also attended all the classes. The forty-five-minute sessions were divided into alternating segments of free play and guided group activities. Two researchers alternated their roles as participant/teacher and observer/note taker. Additional graduate music students also observed and took notes on the activities of the various children.

After the notes were transcribed and analyzed, three types of notable free play emerged: unfinished play, extinguishing play and enhancing play. In unfinished play, the free musical play of the children was interrupted or inhibited, and it was indicated by the children either bringing items back to the group when free play time ended, participating in the group activities from the periphery or ignoring the group activities. "Evidence of unfinished play suggests that the children needed play episodes beyond the time limits of the four main sections of each session of this program." (2) Two categories of interactions seemed to result in the extinguishing of play: physical proximity and corrections or suggestions. An adult's close, unexpected presence sometimes halted the child's play until the person left; and when an adult corrected, criticized or instructed the child on the musical activity, play sometimes was extinguished. Adult participation in a child-directed activity, with the adult valuing and encouraging the activity in a positive way, sometimes served to enhance the free play.

The researchers concluded that:

 
      Evidence of unfinished musical 
   play suggests that children desired 
   play episodes beyond the contained 
   time frames of/tree play with class 
   sessions. We identified adult flexibility 
   as necessary for children to 
   finish their musical activity at 
   their own pace. We recommend 
   that educators occasionally abandon 
   direct instruction, thereby 
   removing emphasis on the musical 
   product. We suggest that educators 
   supplement specific ...