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The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of Arts and Architecture MUSICAL INTERACTIONS AMONG INFANTS/TODDLERS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS: THE ROLE OF INTERVENTION ON EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS’ SCAFFOLDING OF YOUNG CHILDREN’S MUSIC LEARNING A Thesis in Music Education by Yun-Fei Hsee © 2007 Yun-Fei Hsee Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2007 ii This thesis of Yun-Fei Hsee was reviewed and approved* by the following: Joanne Rutkowski Professor of Music Education Thesis Advisor Chair of Committee Ann C. Clements Assistant Professor of Music Education Marica S. Tacconi Associate Professor of Music Thomas D. Yawkey Professor of Early Childhood Education Sue E. Haug Professor of Music Director of the School of Music *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School. iii ABSTRACT This study explored the nature of musical interactions among early childhood teachers and infants/toddlers in an early childhood daycare program. Musical interactions in daily activities and the extent to which teachers implement scaffolding in their musical interactions were investigated. Additionally, when music classes were provided, perceived changes in the musical interactions between early childhood teachers and children in daily activities and music classes were observed. Members of one class—12 children, aged 4 to 33 months, and their 3 teachers participated. Qualitative data included direct observations, participant-observations, interviews, documentation, and archival records collected in three phases: (a) Phase One: prior to a music teacher (the researcher) providing music classes; (b) Phase Two: during the period when a music teacher provided music classes; and (c) Phase Three: one month after music classes ended. The musical interaction process involved three stages: initiation, continuation, and conclusion. Musical interactions were initiated by early childhood teachers and/or children. During the continuation of the interaction, the teachers’ actions and reactions were comprised of verbalization, non-verbal gesturing, modeling, accommodation, observation, imitation, utilization, and application. Children’s responses contained interactive and non-interactive behaviors. Although teachers and children might complete the interaction, the lack of a formal ending was the most frequent pattern. Teachers’ use of verbal instruction and physical manipulations to involve children decreased during the period when music classes were provided, and teachers’ ways of modeling and use of musical materials increased throughout the study. Teachers also tended to interact with iv the children during daily activities in the same manner as the researcher had with the children in music class. The principles of scaffolding that were present in all three phases included: (a) scaffolding consists of an appropriate structure, (b) scaffolding promotes self-regulation, (c) scaffolding presents a learning model for children, (d) scaffolding includes appropriate tools and signs, (e) scaffolding is temporary instruction, and (f) scaffolding assists groups and individuals. In Phases Two and Three, scaffolding process provides internalization was present. Scaffolding begins from children’s previous experiences was only recognized in Phase Two and scaffolding emphasizes collaboration between adults and children was only observed in Phase Three. v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables………………………..…………………………………………………….ix List of Figures…………………….....………………………………….…………………x Acknowledgments………...………………………………...……………………….......xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION…………………..…………………….…………...1 Background of the Study………………………..…………………………………....1 Purpose Statement……………..………………………………………………..2 Infants’ and Toddlers’ Musical Development…….…………………………….3 The Musical Learning Environment………………………………………5 Musical Interaction…………………………………….………………….6 Early Childhood Teachers and Children’s Learning………..…………..…8 Music in Early Childhood Programs……………..………………………..9 The Construct of Adult-Child Interaction………..……………………………11 Roots of Interaction………………..………..……………………………11 Background on Scaffolding………………..…………………………….12 Statement of the Problem.……………………..……………………..……………..13 Research Questions………………………..………………………………………..14 Significance of the Study………………..………………………………………….15 Limitations of the Study………………..…………………………………………...16 Definition of Terms……………………..………………………………………......16 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE………..……………...…...19 Theoretical Framework………………………………………………..……………19 Principles of Scaffolding…………………………………………..…………..20 Teacher’s Role in Scaffolding………………………..……………………..…23 Section Summary…………...…………………………………………………25 Application of Scaffolding in Children’s Learning……………………..…………..26 Parental Scaffolding…………………………………………………..…….....26 Scaffolding in Early Childhood Classroom………………….……………..…32 Scaffolding in Music Education……………...………………………………..41 Section Summary……...………………………………………………...…….46 Early Musical Experiences for Young Children……………..…….……………….48 Musical Interactions Between Adults and Young Children…….……………..49 Music in Early Childhood Education Programs………..………….………….56 Section Summary………………………………………...……...…………….69 Summary of the Literature.…………………………..………………..………...….70 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY………………………………….………..…...74 Research Questions………………………………………………..………………..74 Design of the Study……………………………..…………………………………..75 vi Identification and Selection of the Participants…….…………………………76 Setting……………………………………..……………………………..76 Participants……………………………..………………………………...78 Data Sources…………………………………….…………………………….79 Direct Observations…………………………………………...…………80 Participant-observations…………………..……………………...............82 Interviews……………………………..……………………………….....82 Documentation………...……………..……………………………….….84 Archival Records……………….………………………………………..85 Data Collection Procedures……………..……………………………………..85 Phase One…………………..…………………………………………….86 Phase Two……………….……………………………………………….86 Framework of the Music Classes………..………………………….86 Observations and Interviews………………………………………..90 Phase Three…………………..…………………………………………..90 Data Analysis……………….………………………………..………….………….91 Data Verification…………………………...…………….…………………………91 Data Triangulation……….…….…………………………...…………………91 Investigator Triangulation…………..…………………………………………91 Strong Chain of Evidence….……….…………………………………………92 CHAPER FOUR: FINDINGS……………………...……………………………………93 Overview of the Methodology………………..…………………………………….93 Purpose and Research Questions……………….……………………………..93 Design of the Study……………………………..……………………………..94 Phase One…………………………………..…………………………….94 Phase Two…………………………………….………………………….94 Phase Three………………………………..……………………………..96 Data Analysis………………………………………………………………….97 Participants……………………………………………..…………………………...97 Selection…………………..……………………..………………………….…97 Description of the Setting……………………….………………………….....98 Description of Participants……………..………..…………………………….99 Teacher Sarah…………………………………..………………………...99 Teacher Yvonne………………………………..………………………..101 Teacher Brenda………………………….…………………………….102 Children’s Profile………………………..…………………………….103 Vignette of BabyRock Class Daily Activity……..………………………….104 Results………………………………………..………………………….............106 Research Question One: Nature of Musical Interactions………..…………107 Stage One: Initiation of the Interaction………………..…………...…108 Teachers’ Initiation of the Musical Interaction……..……………109 Children’s Initiation of the Musical Interaction……...……………112 Comparison Among Phases……………………………………….114 Stage Two: Continuation of the Interaction……………….……………117 vii Teachers’ Actions and Reactions……………………..……………117 Children’s Responses to the Musical Interaction……..…………...131 Comparison Among Phases……………………………………….133 Stage Three: Conclusion of the Interaction………………..……………138 Teachers Conclude the Musical Interaction……….....……………138 Children Conclude the Musical Interaction………….……………140 No Conclusion…………………………………….………………141 Comparison Among Phases……………………………………….142 Summary………………………………………………………………..143 Musical Interactions in Music Classes……………………………….....145 Summary……………………………………………..…………………150 Research Question Two: Use of Scaffolding ……...………..….……………151 Principles Present in All Phases………………………………………...153 Principles Present in Second and/or Third Phases……………………...161 Principle Not Observed………………………………………………....166 Summary…………………………………..……………………………167 CHAPER FIVE: SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS..……...170 Summary……………………………………………………..……………………170 Background of the Study………………………..……………………………170 Purpose Statement…………………………..…………………………..171 Statement of the Problem…….…………..……………………………..172 Research Questions……………………..………………………………173 Methodology………………………………..………………………………..173 Design of the Study…………………..…………………………………173 Participants…………………………..………………………………….174 Data Sources……………………….…………………………………...174 Data Collection Procedures…………....………………………………..174 Data Analysis…………………………………………………….……..177 Results…………………………………..……………………………………177 Research Question One…………..…....………………………………..177 Initiation of the Interaction…….………………………………….178 Continuation of the Interaction……….…………………………...180 Conclusion of the Interaction……………..……………………….182 Musical Interactions in Music Classes………..…………………...183 Research Question Two……………..………...………………………..184 Summary of the Results……………………………..……………………….187 Musical Interactions in Daily Activities……….……………………….187 Musical Interactions in Music Classes…………..……………………...188 Principles of Scaffolding in Musical Interactions………..……………..190 Conclusion and Discussion…………..………………………………...………….190 Musical Interactions Among Early Childhood