PRESTON KRAUSKA UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA Effective Practice in Music Education

Need for the Study Not an easy one size fits all answer Students don’t know how to practice Effective use of strategies, goals and self-assessment Types of practicing Problems with student practicing

Review of Literature Types of Practicing  Formal - goal direction, focused attention, self- regulation and deliberate practice strategies  Informal – poor regulation, time management and use of strategies

Types of Practicing  Analytic - error detection, correction, repeated practice, effective use of strategies  Holistic - non-corrective and repetition without fixing errors

Student Problems Desire for instant gratification Inappropriate use of practice strategies Lack of error detection

Four Effective Practice Traits Motivation – Extrinsic and Intrinsic Goals – need to be specific, strategic, realistic and contain ways of clear assessment

Four Effective Practice Traits Strategies – repeated section, whole-part-whole, and tempo variance Assessment – consistent and accurate error detection and self-regulation

Purpose of the Study and Research Questions The purpose of this study will be to test the most effective proven methods of practice from evidence based research. 1. What pedagogical practice strategies are proven to be effective for better performance? 2. Is variation in tempo from slow to fast a better practice strategy than practicing at tempo using chunking methods?

Methodology - Participants 120 High school violin students  9 th – 12 th grade (Chicago area) Years of study  4.5 – 7.5 years Gender  103 female  17 are male Socioeconomic Status  Middle to lower Race  75% Hispanic  20% Caucasian  5% Asian

Methodology - Procedures Fill out and return consent form Assign random but equal representation by age Students follow hard copy instructions 15 minutes of practice with assigned strategy Electronically record I evaluate recordings for correct tempo/rhythm and intonation Data analysis