USING MUSIC TO SUPPORT LEARNING How Can the Use of Music as a Teaching Tool Support and Enhance Learning and Improve Learning Outcomes ? Millicent Howard Brooklyn College – CBSE 7202TNET Action Research Mid-Term Spring/Fall 2013 Dr. Sharon O’Connor-Petruso

TABLE OF CONTENTS Research Design & Rationale - Slide 3 Threats to Internal Validity - Slide 4 Threats to External Validity - Slide 5 Proposed Research Data - Slide 6 Data Analysis & Correlation - Slides7-9 Appendix A - Slide 10 Appendix B - Slide 11 References - Slide 12

Research Design & Rationale My research project is geared towards answering a critical question “How Can The Use of Music as a Teaching Tool Support and Enhance Learning, and Improve Learning Outcomes?” This project takes the format of observation of a first grade class in a NYC Public School, as well as evaluating peer-reviewed research articles on the topic. The exact procedure involves administering interview questions to teachers relevant to my research topic and administering a five-minute survey to educators of first grade students. This survey requires them to answer unreservedly and honestly. There is no compensation involved and is construed firmly to assist in my data collection for this research.

Threats To Internal Validity History - This could not possibly pose a threat since I am observing two schools which are similar in terms of the demographic makeup, the funding and the makeup of the teachers who are all from the public school system. Maturation - I see this as a problem as there will only be one five-minute survey administered to a few educators, but my research data is taken from peer-reviewed articles that could be considered outdated even though they are not older than five years. Testing/Pre-Test Sensitization - This will not present a problem because the survey will be administered once. Instrumentation - No threats predicted because the instruments used are not being changed. Mortality - This is not a threat because the survey is expected to last for only about five to ten minutes at most. Statistical Regression - The purpose of this survey is not to gain a numerical value, but rather centers on teachers’ attitudes and beliefs so this is also not a threat to my research. Differential Selection of Subject - This is not a threat as the teachers are of similar background so my results should not be affected. Selection – Maturation Interaction - This should not pose a threat as my subjects – the teachers – are of the same background and from the same employment pool

Threats To External Validity Ecological Validity - This is not a threat because all the teachers being surveyed are of the “regular” public schools so there should be true representative samples. Generalizable Conditions - All the participants are from the same general education type program and thus a generalization could be made. Pre-Test Treatment - There is no foreseeable threat as there is no pre-testing involved. Selection Treatment Interaction - There is no threat detected as classes chosen are random and teachers are randomly chosen. Specificity of Variables - No external threat perceived as the variables are unchanging. Multiple Treatments - No threat perceived as there is only one survey. Treatment Diffusion - This is also not a threat as the survey will be conducted only once per class with the same population. Experimenter Effects - There may be some bias as I am familiar with some of the teachers, being a substitute teacher who works occasionally at one of the schools at which the survey is being conducted. Reactive Arrangements/Participants Effects - Even though this is a completely anonymous survey, teachers may not want to criticize their school or say anything negative in the survey.

Proposed Research Data Teachers’ Survey Questionnaire (Appendix A) Classroom Teacher’s Interview Questions (Appendix B) Information from my Classroom Observation will be used

Data Correlation & Analysis Using Music To Improve Early Childhood Cognitive Skills Rxy = This demonstrates that there is a positive correlation between first graders who are exposed at an early age to literacy through music and their ability to count objects. Limited Exposure To Early Literacy Training Rxy = This graph shows a negative correlation between first graders and their ability to identify the letters of the Alphabet which was diminished with decreased hours of exposure to early Literacy training through the use of music as a teaching tool. The Use of Music-Enhance Tools To Support Literacy Rxy = 1 This graph depicts a positive correlation. For a number of days the teacher used music-enhanced tools in her literacy program; and as the number of days per month increased so did students Reading score.

Data Set D X AxisY Axis Brief Analysis: 1 rxy. This graph depicts a positive correlation. For a number of days the Kindergarten Teacher used music-enhanced tools in her literacy program; and as the number of days per month increased so did students Reading score.

Appendix A Survey Questionnaire for First Grade Teachers 1.How easy is it to get the resources you need to teach at this school? Very Easy Moderately Easy Not Easy at all 2.How much support does the administration give to teachers in this school? A lot Moderate Amount Little None 3.How much fin. support does this school give you for your professional growth? A lot Moderate Amount Little None 4.Would you use the financial resources you receive to implement using music as a teaching tool? Yes No Maybe 5.Do you use music in your classroom to enhance the learning experience of your students? Regularly Sometimes Never 6.Do you believe that using the appropriate type of music in your classroom to teach a lesson could help with getting across a lesson that you are teaching but which the students are having difficulty grasping? Yes No Maybe 7.If the answer to any of the last three questions is in the negative, please explain the reason for your answer?

Appendix B Interview Questions for the Classroom Teacher I will be posing the following questions to the classroom teacher for the class that I am observing: 1.Do you use music as a motivating tool to assist with learning in your classroom? 2.What type of music do you use or would you use? 3.For which lessons do you think this would be most beneficial? 4.What time of the day do you think is best to use music to enhance the learning experience? 5.What are your personal and professional opinions on the use of music as a teaching tool?

References O’Connor-Petruso, S. (2013). Descriptive Statistics Threats to Validity. PowerPoint slides. Retrieved from Blackboard Course Documents