Investigates effects of short-term conducting gesture instruction on seventh-grade band students' recognition of and performance response to musical conducting gestures. Indicates that short-term conducting-gesture instruction has a positive, statistically significant impact on recognition of and performance response to conducting gestures.…

Identifies the music skills and understanding taught during preservice training that in-service preschool classroom teachers perceived as practical and beneficial. Demonstrates that skills and understanding considered most useful provide students with direct music experiences; skills traditionally taught in music theory and history were not…

Examines the effects of contextual sight-singing and ear training on pitch and rhythm error detection abilities among undergraduate instrumental music education majors. Shows that additional training produced better error detection, particularly with rhythm errors and in one-part examples. Maintains that differences attributable to texture were…

Seeks to determine effects of expressive variation in dynamics on the musical preferences of elementary school students. Indicates that a significant proportion of students in two test groups preferred the expressive versions of six songs over less expressive ones. Makes recommendations concerning the importance of expressive performance in…

Uses citation information from six nationally distributed music education research journals for the period 1990-1995 to determine journal eminence. Includes both professional and research journals. Finds that 15 journals represented a majority of citations, and 3 formed a first tier of research journals, representing 80% of citations. (DSK)

Investigates the effect of movement instruction on beginning instrumentalists' steady beat perception, synchronization, and performance. Finds that a group receiving movement instruction did not perform significantly better than a control group at perception but did perform significantly better at synchronization and performance. Notes low,…

Compares pictorial and verbal rating scales as measures of music preference opinions. Examines internal consistency and test-retest reliability of each type of scale, the overall preference scores generated through the use of each to measure preference for the same music stimuli, and student preferences for each type after using them. (DSK)

Investigates how instruction in specific rhythmic nuances influences the performed timings of a musical performance. Volunteers learned and performed a piece, then were taught rhythmic tendencies identified in the finest performances of the piece. Finds that subjects used significantly more rubato (freedom of tempo) and came closer to model…

Examines the socialization of student teachers in secondary history classrooms, specifically, responses to a history-intensive social studies methods course, and their subsequent use of document-based instruction. Supports previous research regarding student teachers' active participation in their socialization process, and provides insights into…

Explores how two preservice teachers viewed their teacher education courses and how these experiences influenced how each proposed to teach history. Indicates that they were influenced by objectivist epistemologies concerning historical knowledge and didactic teaching approaches, and both had ambitions not to teach from that epistemology or in…

Probes the interaction between teacher-education experiences and existing student beliefs, through observation and analysis of two elementary teaching candidates' experience in social studies methods courses and student teaching. Suggests that beliefs can facilitate professional growth if articulated as tools for reflection, but can be obstacles…

Describes how Problem-Based Learning (PBL) was adapted for use in social studies teacher education. Reviews the background of PBL as used in professional faculties, and offers curricular justification for its use. Examines difficulties experienced in adapting PBL to teacher education, taking into account perspectives from prospective teachers and…

Asks whether college students who hear a standard tune, assumed familiar to middle schoolers, can identify it, either by title or segments of lyrics. Finds that music majors identified significantly more tunes than elementary education majors, but means for each indicate that neither group has a strong repertoire of standard songs. (DSK)

Reports on a study that presented rehearsal excerpts demonstrating the presence or absence of specific teaching attributes, asked subjects to evaluate them in each category, and compared subjects' ratings with data demonstrating the presence or absence of those attributes. Presents results based on the evaluation of 10 categories of student and…

Compares effects of negative feedback statements and specific directives in music-performance instruction. Indicates that subjects' attitudes and performance achievements were unaffected by type of comment: all subjects expressed positive attitudes about the experience, and the time required to reach the learning goal was unaffected by type of…