Study of an interdisciplinary didactic model in a secondary education music class

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out within the framework of a pedagogical project. It compares the results obtained from the application of two different didactic models for learning and practicing musical composition in a Secondary Education class: the traditional teacher centred method (designated as the control group, CG), and an interdisciplinary model based on a holistic style (designated as the experimental group, EG). Both methodologies focused on identical musical composition content, but latter applied an open ended interdisciplinary approach, based on synchronised learning in several subjects. A quasi-experimental design was used in this research. Pre- and post-test questionnaires were applied to measure the progress in composing skills in both groups. The questions focused on various tasks with verbal and figurative content to evaluate the progress of the student's ability to explore sound parameters, their knowledge and acquisition of musical elements and the improvement of flexible understanding the students developed during the process. Data were analyzed by means of standardised quantitative tests and by qualitative triangulation. Analysis of this data provided evidence that students were able to obtain meaningful understanding by connecting the Music contents with other school subjects and their own personal realities. The integrative qualities of the experience fostered the self-sufficiency and self-confidence and fostered by the student's creativity and motivation. Moreover, interdisciplinary learning led to an improvement in critical thinking skills.

KEYWORDS:

• Interdisciplinary learning
• music composing
• secondary education
• creativity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Laura Cuervo received her Ph.D. in Musicology at the Complutense University of Madrid in 2012. She also got a Piano Degree at the ‘Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid,’ and at the ‘Koservatorium der Stadt Wien.’ She is Associate Professor at the Education Faculty of the University Complutense of Madrid since 2013; and Music teacher at an Institute of high school in Madrid, since 2000. Previously she has served as Professor of one Institute of high school in Zurich, Switzerland. Her research focuses on the piano music of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century Madrid; and on the didactic of the music. She is associate researcher at the ‘Cátedra de Filosofía de la Música Gustavo Bueno.’ She has been awarded a scholarship by the austrian government to study at the University of Vienna, collaborating on a musicology research project with Viennese harpsichordist Isolde Ahlgrimm. She has presented communications at international conferences, she has published articles in scientific journals as Anuario Musical, Revista de Musicología and Ad Parnassum. She is authoress of some critical editions of music and book chapters. She is co-editor of the ‘Revista Electrónica Complutense de Investigación en Educación Musical.’

Notes

1 Gardner defines understanding as ‘the capacity to use current knowledge, concepts, and skills to illuminate new difficulties or unanticipated issues’ (Gardner and Boix-Mansilla 1994, 200). Transferred to the process of composing music, this idea could be perceived as meaningful experience resulting in a way of learning.

2 Hickey (2002) reviews the large body of literature focused on the processes or products of creative thinking in order to better understand what is known about creative development, learning and thinking.

3 These particular disciplines were chosen due to the educators’ time limitations.

4 Wiggins delves deeper in her reflection about the productive learning environment and presents

   […] The need to include opportunites for students to: a) receive support from more knowledgeable others; b) work independently; c) deal with subject matter in ways that will enable them to construct their own understanding; d) deal with subject matter within genuine contexts; e) understand relationships between new ideas and their contexts; f) understand what is to be learned; and g) engage in real-life, holistic problem-solving experiences. (2001, 17)