Thoughts on Thinking: Engaging Novice Music Students in Metacognition

Abstract

Summary: Achieving expertise in any area requires extensive practice and engagement with the subject one desires to master. As not all practice yields good progress, methods must be found that lead learners to practice effectively. Many experts employ highly tailored practice involving metacognitive processes, but novices rarely engage in frequent and explicit metacognitive strategies during practice. As a result, novice progress may be impeded through repetition of systematic errors and ineffective techniques. Our study provides evidence of the effectiveness of teaching metacognition to novice music students through weekly lessons. Thirty-five adolescent students of six instructors were randomly assigned to metacognitive focus or existing practice teaching conditions. Students receiving metacognitive teaching achieved higher performance ratings when compared with students receiving control instruction, even though practice time did not vary between groups. These results suggest that having students explicitly verbalize and reflect on their learning process produces more efficient practice and greater end performance.

An Examination of Methods Used to Teach Practice Strategies in the College Voice Studio

“…Researchers have examined practice techniques such as supervised practice, structured practice, use of models, and amount of time spent practicing only to find that time alone was not an indicator of achievement (Anderson, 1981;Barry & McArthur, 1994;Bathgate et al, 2011;Brokaw, 1983;Linklater, 1997;Madsen, 2004;Rubin-Rabson, 1940). The way time is distributed for practice, however, was found potentially to be helpful for musicians (Dail & Christina, 2004;Duke, Simmons, & Cash, 2009;Shea, Lai, Black, & Park, 2000;Tsutsui, Lee, & Hodges, 1998).…”

“…Authors of professional literature have expressed that students who play an active role in their learning tend to be more engaged and motivated (Barry & Hallam, 2002;Bathgate, Sims-Knight, & Schunn, 2011;Brändström, 1995Brändström, /1996DeMaris, 2012;Mackworth-Young, 1990;Zarro, 2003). Having students set their own learning goals for lessons and individual practice is a specific way for students to be engaged in the learning process (Barry & Hallam, 2002;Bathgate, et al, 2011;Brändström, 1995Brändström, /1996Wolfe, 1984). Several experts have stressed the importance of goal setting in the private music studio (Brändström, 1995(Brändström, /1996Christensen, 2010;Clemmons, 2006;Johnson, 2009;Kenny, 1998;Kim, 2008;Miksza, 2012;Oare, 2011;Prichard, 2012).…”

“…The style of the teacher should accommodate each student's individual personality and musical goals in order to find the best method for teaching students how to practice most effectively. Teaching styles vary depending on the philosophy of the teacher, but the existing research tends to favor a student-centered learning environment in order to achieve success in studio instruction (Bathgate et al, 2011;Beheshti, 2009;Koopman, Smit, de Vugt, Deneer, & den Ouden, 2007;Mackworth-Young, 1990;Zarro, 2003). When comparing traditional teachers to constructivist teachers in the applied music studio, Zarro (2003) found that students who were taught using the constructivist (student-centered) approach were more able to think independently and creatively than students taught under the traditional model (teacher-centered).…”

“…Extant literature emphasizes the positive potential of journals, practice sheets, portfolios, and/or contracts as assessment tools when incorporated into studio instruction, (Barry & Hallam, 2002;Bathgate et al, 2011;Boyd, 2013;Brändström, 1995Brändström, /1996Johnson, 2009;Koopman et al, 2007Mackworth-Young, 1990Oare, 2011;Peterson, 2001;Wolfe, 1984;Zarro, 2003) although it must be noted that these types of tools can be de-motivating if used inappropriately (i.e., tracking minutes or other non-musical goals) (Smeltz, 2012). In order to determine the most appropriate self-report measure of self-regulated practice behaviors of beginning and intermediate instrumentalists in grades six through eight, Miksza (2012) tested the reliability and validity of several factors to incorporate into practice questionnaires.…”

“…Metacognition, or thinking about thinking, is a natural occurrence in student-centered instruction (Bathgate et al, 2011;Barry & Hallam, 2002). In one study, students who received metacognitive training scored higher on performance tests than students who had not received such training (Bathgate et al, 2011).…”