Presents a study that investigated the significance of the octave-equivalence assumption, an essential assumption to the notion of "pitch class" and the analysis and pedagogy of all music in the Western tradition. Discusses development and organization of experimental items and describes the method of presentation. (GEA)

Presents a study which assessed undergraduates' and children's music preferences for examples of symphonic music. Serving as a teaching and planning experience for undergraduates, the study revealed that children's preferences were increased through undergraduate presentations and that college students used larger vocabularies when describing…

Presents a study that investigated the effects of a course in music appreciation on attitudes of college non-music majors regarding favorite composers. Concludes that students' tendency to list composers studied in the course among their favorites may be attributable only to familiarity. Discusses the study's weaknesses and suggests future…

Presents a study that describes the development and assesses the effectiveness of a federally funded arts-in-education project undertaken by the Homer (New York) Central Schools. Concludes that the stated goal of integrating arts experiences regularly into the total school program was not being met and makes suggestions for effective…

Examines the events between November 1837 and August 1838 which led to the acceptance and support of curricular music in the Boston (Massachusetts) public schools, and ultimately, the rest of the country. Recognizes the efforts of Lowell Mason and Joseph Harrington to establish music programs as part of the school curriculum. (GEA)

Presents a study which was to evaluate instructional activities and practice techniques of musicians attempting to improve their accuracy in detecting errors in music examples heard. Compares the techniques of keyboard sight-reading and listening to recorded examples of simple piano music as methods of aural perception pedagogy. (Author/GEA)

Presents a study which examined the effect of two music contest formats on the music achievement, self-concept, achievement motivation, performance achievement, and attitude of elementary band students. Discusses research methods, stating that most students prefer to participate in a rated contest format instead of only receiving comments on their…

Presents a study which investigated the perception of music majors and nonmusic majors concerning their ability to discriminate the way in which altered musical excerpts differed in pitch or tempo (or both) from preceding presentations. Concludes that both groups responded similarly across conditions and replications, and that tempo changes were…

Argues that historians are revisionists in that personal and cultural conditioning is automatically reflected in their interpretations. Illustrates this point by presenting the contrasting views of Lowell Mason, an influential 19th century musician and music educator. Concludes that by recognizing these conscious and unconscious influences upon…

The effects of three syllabic recitation systems on skills associated with the ability to read rhythm notation were investigated in this study. Subjects were 160 second and third grade children in southern Maine. Concludes that a system which assigned specific words to rhythm patterns improved performance and notation skills. (BSR)

The study investigated (1) consistency of terminology used by Japanese and U.S. college students to describe the music of the two cultures; (2) subjects' preferences concerning music; and (3) relationships between the musical experience and preferences. Concludes that subjects with greater musical experience generally employed a wider range of…

Motivation of band members was tested by asking them a series of questions related to whether they ever challenged for chair positions and their satisfaction with their present placement and skill. Concludes failure and lack of satisfaction with one's current level of performance resulted in fewer challenges and external attributions of success.…

Claims Edgar B. Gordon's most unique contributions were his highly influential but less publicized involvement with radio instruction in music. Traces Gordon's professional development, details his radio involvement, and analyzes his instructional techniques and materials. (Author/BSR)

Research studies published in THEORY AND RESEARCH IN SOCIAL EDUCATION over the eight year period between 1979 and 1986 were reviewed and evaluated using an instrument developed by the authors. Descriptive summaries of the findings, along with examples of good and bad practice, are reported. (Author/BSR)

This study assessed a model of the relationship between critical thinking and political participation. Findings indicated that critical thinking has indirect positive effects on orientations toward political participation, that critical thinking positively affects personal control, political efficacy, and democratic attitude, and that personal…