Thesis Proposal Presentation The Impact of Social-Emotional Factors on Student Perception of Small Vocal Ensemble Performance Elizabeth A. Hutchinson

Introduction

Relevance of Small Vocal Ensembles “Pitch Perfect”, 2012 “The Sing Off”, 2009 Students participating in these ensembles develop many skills. Participation leads to close relationships between teachers and students.

Social-Emotional Learning The “Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning” (CASEL) defines social and emotional learning as having five core competencies: self management, self awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making (CASEL, 2013).

Social-Emotional Learning and Music Education Pellitteri (2006) stated music can be used as a) an emotional stimulus; (b) music can be used as an aesthetic experience; and (c) music can be used for relaxation and imagery; (d) self-expression; and (e) music making can be a form of group experience. There is not much research regarding social emotional factors in the music education community. CASEL, 1992

Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to determine which social and emotional factors such as close friendships and feelings of community affect student perceptions of group performance as well as the manner in which students decide if a given performance is successful.

Need for Study Increased popularity of small vocal ensembles Instructors need to be aware of the social emotional factors that may affect the educational experience of their students. Lack of literature

Special Terms Perceived Performance Success (PPS): An individual’s opinion regarding the achievement of a musical presentation. Social and Emotional Factors (SEF): In this study, inter-group friendships, inter-group conflicts, feelings of community (or lack thereof), depression, anxiety or satisfaction brought on by group experiences.

Limitations Research subjects will be students from intact ensembles attending a large suburban high school in the Midwestern United States. This study will only be conducted with high school students. It may not be appropriate to generalize the results of this study to students of other ages or different school environments.

Literature Review

Literature Review: Motivations and Attitudes of Students Siebenaler (2006) studied the factors the motivated students to continue participating in choral music through high school. Through the collection of survey data from a large suburban high school (n=176), the study found the continued participation was influenced by positive parental support, a positive musical self concept and peer support.

Literature Review: Motivations and Attitudes of Students 60% of subjects participated in choir for social reasons; specifically because it was “where their friends were”. The researcher reported that “the sense of camaraderie and support was palpable in the choir room…” (Siebenaler, 2006) This suggests that peer support is sometimes a determining factor in students’ decisions to remain in musical ensembles.

Literature Review: Motivations and Attitudes of Students Bartolome (2006) conducted a qualitative study to identify the perceptions, benefits, and experiences of members in the Seattle Girls’ Choir (ages 7-18), parents of participants and faculty members. Subjects were interviewed personally regarding length, motivation, and benefits of involvement, social interactions and friendships and sense of community.

Literature Review: Motivations and Attitudes of Students Although music development was important to subjects, value was more frequently placed on perceived social and emotional benefits of participation. The research suggests that social components play a large role in motivating students to participate in choral ensembles.

Literature Review: The Social Role of the Instructor Silverman (2009) conducted a study that scrutinized the effect of the instructor’s actions upon the social emotional well-being and overall musical performance of students. This study measured the effects of positive commentary by instructors and university students regarding individual guitar song leading performance. The experimental group received positive reinforcement after performing while the control group did not.

Literature Review: The Social Role of the Instructor After performing, subjects competed a survey to measure self-esteem, depression, and stress. No significant different between the control group and the experimental group for these factors However, experimental group scored much higher on the performance skill portion Research suggests that positive reinforcement can lead to higher achievement.

Literature Review: The Social Role of the Instructor Edgar (2013) compiled research relating to social emotional learning, music education, and teacher professional development. Teacher competence in addressing students’ social and emotional needs is especially important because of the strong relationships between music educators and their students. Greater frequency of professional development offerings

Method

Method This study will examine the following questions: 1) What social emotional factors influence perception of ensemble performance? 2) How do ensemble members decide if a performance is successful? 3) Does length of experience in choir affect the way ensemble members decide if a performance is successful?  

Participants Participants of the study will be students from three intact extracurricular ensembles attending a large suburban high school in the United States.

Population: West Aurora High School Large school district in the second most populous city in Illinois Demographics 44.7% Hispanic 33.8% White 10 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 1 high school, 1 school for special needs students 14.9% Black 3.5% Asian 2.6% Multiracial Low-Income Population 53.7% School wide 60.1% District Wide

Research Instrument and Data Collection Study will be conducted after first concert of year (October). Research Data (7- point Likert scales) Strength of relationships within the group Demographic Data Manner in which students decide a performance in successful Gender Year in School Years in Choir Ensemble Membership Rating of recent group performance Open-ended response question

Research Instrument and Data Collection I will administer the survey during the class time immediately following the performance. A script will be written to ensure all students hear the same directions. No teacher feedback will be given in case it might alter student perceptions. No talking amongst students will be given in case it might alter student perceptions.

Analysis Frequency data for demographic variables Descriptive data (mean, median mode, standard deviation) for all Likert scale questions Spearman correlation coefficient for students’ relationship and performance ratings. Possibility for more correlation calculations between items Cronbach’s Alpha to determine item reliability Tables and figures will organize data as needed.

Appendices Appendix A: Survey Appendix B: Survey script and directions

Reference List Bartolome, S.J. (2013). “It’s Like a Whole Bunch of Me!”: The perceived values and benefits of the Seattle girls’ choir experience. Journal of Research in Music Education, 60, 395-418. Edgar, S. N. (2013). Introducing social emotional learning to music education professional development. Update: Applications for Research in Music Education, 31(2), 28-36 Siebenaler, D.J. (2006). Factors that predict participation in choral music for high-school students. Research and Issues in Music Education, 4(1). Silverman, M. J. (2009). The effect of positive peer reinforcement on psychological measures and guitar songleading performance in university students. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 28(1),3-8.