Abstract
Many research studies carried out from the expertise paradigm have focused on describing how instrumental practice changes as musical expertise develops. However, the conceptions of music learning and instruction held by instrumentalists with different levels of expertise still remains as an understudied area, even among researchers specifically concerned with conceptual change. By adopting the frame of implicit theories, the present study addresses the conceptions of learning and instruction held by instrumental students at professional conservatories of music. More specifically, our main purposes were to study the conceptions of learning, teaching, and assessment/evaluation held by piano students at three developmental/instructional stages, and analyze whether their conceptions were organized in the form of theoretically consistent profiles. The participants were 215 students of Intermediate and Tertiary degrees. The construct “expertise” was operationalized by collapsing the variables “Age” and “Level of Instruction” in three levels. Data was collected by means of a multiple-choice questionnaire, and analyzed with descriptive and non-parametric statistical methods. The findings suggested that: a) students’ conceptions are more sophisticated as both their age and education level increase; b) each developmental/instructional group is typically associated to different conceptions of learning, teaching, and assessment/evaluation; and c) three increasingly sophisticated profiles, quite consistent from a theoretical perspective, can be identified among these students. Similarities and differences among our findings and those from studies focused on the development of students’ learning practices are elaborated. Implications for conceptual change research and limitations of the study are discussed, and further lines of research are suggested. Copyright © 2010 ICMPC 11.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC 11) |
Editors | Steven DEMOREST, Steven MORRISON, Patricia Sheehan CAMPBELL |
Place of Publication | Seattle |
Publisher | ICMPC |
Pages | 53-54 |
ISBN (Print) | 1876346620 |
Publication status | Published - 2010 |