Increasing School Connectedness Through Social Music Improvisation
Start Date
12-4-2024 3:45 PM
Location
CASB 104
Document Type
Presentation
Abstract
This study is a mixed-methods action research intervention that analyzed the impact of music improvisation activities on virtual middle school students' behavior and their perception of connectedness with peers, teachers, and school. The research included 37 virtual middle school music students, including sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students, divided into intervention and control groups.
The study involved 11 music improvisation intervention sessions that lasted for ten minutes each. The first two sessions were informative and explanatory, while the remaining nine focused on music improvisation activities. The music improvisation sessions included playing instruments and singing using prompt cards created by Dr. James Oshinsky (2021), and the students were given specific prompts to inspire their music-making.
During the intervention, the students in the intervention group shared their improvisations live with small groups of four to five students. In contrast, the control group received identical lessons without the music improvisation intervention. The study provided pre and post-test data with observational information about how music improvisation influenced students' connectedness to others.
Qualitative data was collected through observations and process coding. This personalized snapshot of the results using the teacher's observations of attitudes, actions, and nature of communication during sessions showed a parallel increase of connectedness to school levels for intervention participants. The teacher's observations of attitudes, actions, and nature of communication during sessions showed a similar increase in connectedness to school levels for intervention participants.
The study found a statistically significant result (p=.035) in the school connectedness subscale, suggesting that music improvisation activities positively influenced students' perceived feelings of connectedness to school. This mixed methods action research intervention study analyzed the influence of music improvisation activities on virtual students' behaviors and perceptions of their connectedness to peers, teachers, and school in a virtual middle school classroom setting. Eleven 10-minute music improvisation intervention sessions allowed for the accumulation of data, with the first two sessions being informative and explanatory, describing the music improvisation intervention and practicing its aspects with participants in the intervention group.
This study provided pre and post-test data with observational information regarding how the presence of music improvisation influenced 37 virtual middle school music students' connectedness to others. Music improvisation activities included playing instruments and singing using prompt cards created by Dr. James Oshinsky (2021). Students were assigned a particular idea to inspire their music-making. They took turns unmuting during a Google Meet to share their improvisations live with small groups of four to five students. Participants in both intervention and control groups comprised approximately equivalent numbers of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Control participants received identical lessons, albeit the music improvisation intervention only the intervention participants received.
A statistically significant result (p=.035) in the school connectedness subscale suggested that music improvisation activities positively influenced students’ perceived feelings of connectedness to school, an integral part of the basis of this research.
Increasing School Connectedness Through Social Music Improvisation
CASB 104
This study is a mixed-methods action research intervention that analyzed the impact of music improvisation activities on virtual middle school students' behavior and their perception of connectedness with peers, teachers, and school. The research included 37 virtual middle school music students, including sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students, divided into intervention and control groups.
The study involved 11 music improvisation intervention sessions that lasted for ten minutes each. The first two sessions were informative and explanatory, while the remaining nine focused on music improvisation activities. The music improvisation sessions included playing instruments and singing using prompt cards created by Dr. James Oshinsky (2021), and the students were given specific prompts to inspire their music-making.
During the intervention, the students in the intervention group shared their improvisations live with small groups of four to five students. In contrast, the control group received identical lessons without the music improvisation intervention. The study provided pre and post-test data with observational information about how music improvisation influenced students' connectedness to others.
Qualitative data was collected through observations and process coding. This personalized snapshot of the results using the teacher's observations of attitudes, actions, and nature of communication during sessions showed a parallel increase of connectedness to school levels for intervention participants. The teacher's observations of attitudes, actions, and nature of communication during sessions showed a similar increase in connectedness to school levels for intervention participants.
The study found a statistically significant result (p=.035) in the school connectedness subscale, suggesting that music improvisation activities positively influenced students' perceived feelings of connectedness to school. This mixed methods action research intervention study analyzed the influence of music improvisation activities on virtual students' behaviors and perceptions of their connectedness to peers, teachers, and school in a virtual middle school classroom setting. Eleven 10-minute music improvisation intervention sessions allowed for the accumulation of data, with the first two sessions being informative and explanatory, describing the music improvisation intervention and practicing its aspects with participants in the intervention group.
This study provided pre and post-test data with observational information regarding how the presence of music improvisation influenced 37 virtual middle school music students' connectedness to others. Music improvisation activities included playing instruments and singing using prompt cards created by Dr. James Oshinsky (2021). Students were assigned a particular idea to inspire their music-making. They took turns unmuting during a Google Meet to share their improvisations live with small groups of four to five students. Participants in both intervention and control groups comprised approximately equivalent numbers of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Control participants received identical lessons, albeit the music improvisation intervention only the intervention participants received.
A statistically significant result (p=.035) in the school connectedness subscale suggested that music improvisation activities positively influenced students’ perceived feelings of connectedness to school, an integral part of the basis of this research.