Cognitive processing of rhythm in primary education: encounters between teaching practice and scientific evidence

ABSTRACT

This paper explores how Chilean teachers approach fundamental aspects of rhythm, verifying their consistency with cognitive processing theory and findings. 203 music teachers completed a validated questionnaire with closed and open items regarding how they approach pulse, tempo, meter and rhythmic patterns during rhythm production and perception activities. The results show that, in general, teaching practices are congruent with the scientific evidence related to the processing of these musical aspects. Finally, the use of elements that facilitate synchronization or constant pulse is suggested: optimal tempi ranges for adults, use of binary meters, and the use of rhythmic patterns that prioritise the double-half relationship.

KEYWORDS:

• Music cognition
• primary education
• rhythm
• rhythm training
• Chile

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the teachers who filled out the survey, and would also like to acknowledge the contributions made by Óscar Pino and Rolando Angel-Alvarado. We would also like to thank Edwin Abbett, who reviewed the English text of this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research has been sponsored by the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, CONICYT), Doctoral scholarships abroad Chile scholarships - 2018 call for applications (Becas de doctorado en el extranjero becas Chile – convocatoria 2018) (code 72190077); and by the Spanish Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación, MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033), under grant to project “Plectrus” [grant number PID2019-105762GB-I00], in collaboration with the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Notes on contributors

José Álamos-Gómez

José Álamos Gómez is a Music Teacher, holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education, a Master's Degree in Music Didactics Research and a PhD in Didactics of Music Education with international mention from the University of Valencia, Spain. His research focuses on Music Cognition and Music Didactics.

Jesús Tejada

Jesús Tejada Giménez` holds a Degree in Music, a PhD in Humanities, and a PhD in Research Methods in Education. He is researcher at Institute of Creativity, University of Valencia, Spain. His main interests are software design and multimodality in music education.

Felipe Farías

Felipe Farías Álvarez holds a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Auckland, a Master of Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts. His research focuses on Acoustics, Music, Signal Processing and Audiology. His career has spanned both academia and industry in Chile, New Zealand and Austria.