Secondary Students’ Preferences for Various Learning Conditions and Music Courses: A Comparison of School Music, Out-of-School Music, and Nonmusic Participants

Abstract

This study was an investigation of middle and high school students’ preferences for various music learning conditions and secondary music course offerings. The stratified random sample included students who were and were not enrolled in school music classes ( N = 827). Participants represented secondary school music students ( n = 369), students who only participate in music outside of school ( n = 254), and nonparticipants in music ( n = 204). The research questions for this study concerned students’ preferences for teacher role, group size, and repertoire in the music classroom as well as interest in six different secondary music courses. Findings showed out-of-school music participants and nonparticipants had a stronger preference for small group learning environments and repertoire choice when compared to school music participants. In-school and out-of-school music participants expressed similar levels of interest in four music course offerings and ranked them as follows: (1) piano/guitar class, (2) music composition with technology class, (3) popular music groups, and (4) music history/theory class. In-school and out-of-school music participants differed on only two course offerings: large ensembles and world music groups. In-school music participants expressed high interest in large ensembles, whereas out-of-school music participants conveyed a lower interest in large ensembles.

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“…Perkembangan teknologi digital yang cepat tidak diimbangi oleh kecepatan perkembangan aspek pedagogis. Di sisi lain perkembangan teknologi merupakan sebuah keniscayaan yang perlu dipertimbangkan sebagai praktik pembelajaran musik ke depannya (Partti & Karlsen, 2010;Pendergast & Robinson, 2020). Oleh karenanya, perlu dilakukan identifikasi dan eksplorasi terkait performativitas dan aspek pedagogis dalam praktik pembelajaran musik bagi generasi Z.…”

Understanding Participation in Secondary Music Classes: A Literature Review

“…There is evidence to suggest that these variations in preferred manners of interaction also apply within secondary schools. For example, a survey of students in a large metropolitan area indicated the following: (a) students who were already involved in their school music program had a high interest in large ensemble music instruction; (b) students involved in music outside of school but not in school were more interested in smaller group instruction with individual outcomes such as music production, guitar, and piano; and (c) students who did not participate in music-making inside or outside of school showed substantially less interest in school music classes overall (Pendergast & Robinson, in press). Adolescent attitudes may also vary based on settings including private music instruction, community-based music groups, informal friendship-based music making, and private/independent music making (Pendergast, 2018).…”

Advancing Antiracism in the Secondary School Orchestra Program

“…However, recalling that the very nature of the orchestral paradigm is culturally particularized, we should also come to terms with the possibility that there are those for whom our ways of music making are simply not attractive, despite our antiracist efforts. Pendergast and Robinson (2020), for example, found comparatively little interest in large ensemble participation among secondary students whose musical involvement occurred solely outside of school. These students indicated greater interest in the prospect of music courses that would emphasize piano or guitar, composing with technology (e.g., iPads), popular music groups, and music history or theory.…”

“…In recognizing that our orchestra (and band, and choir) programs do not represent the whole of student musical interest, we can become advocates for expanding our schools’ menus of musical offerings. Using the findings on preferred offerings as an example (Pendergast and Robinson 2020), we could advocate for increased ubiquity of piano and/or guitar class offerings that appeal to a wide array of musical styles. We could encourage our administrators to consider courses in music technology as avenues that enable participation for students who do not have the prior musical background usually expected in secondary band and orchestra trajectories.…”