An Investigation of the Assessment Practices of Elementary General Music Teachers in Iowa
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University of Northern Iowa UNI ScholarWorks Dissertations and Theses @ UNI Student Work 2017 An investigation of the assessment practices of elementary general music teachers in Iowa Michelle Linn Hyde Swanson University of Northern Iowa Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy Copyright ©2017 Michelle Linn Hyde Swanson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd Part of the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Elementary Education Commons, and the Music Education Commons Recommended Citation Swanson, Michelle Linn Hyde, "An investigation of the assessment practices of elementary general music teachers in Iowa" (2017). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 432. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/432 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses @ UNI by an authorized administrator of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Copyright by MICHELLE LINN HYDE SWANSON © 2017 All Rights Reserved AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES OF ELEMENTARY GENERAL MUSIC TEACHERS IN IOWA An Abstract of a Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Approved: _______________________________________ Dr. Robert Boody, Committee Chair _______________________________________ Dr. Kavita Dhanwada Dean of the Graduate College Michelle Linn Hyde Swanson University of Northern Iowa July, 2017 ABSTRACT Assessment, leading to informed decisions, is an integral part of music education and may be a means to justify the importance of music as a valued content subject (Brophy, 2000). The purpose of this study was to describe the elementary general music assessment practices in Iowa. The study was framed using Stiggins’ (2005) categorical definition of assessment as gathering, organizing, summarizing, and reporting data. Mixed methodologies were utilized to gather data regarding these four categories through survey questions (N=211) and two focus group discussions. The participants were from a variety of school district sizes as well as teachers with varying years of teaching experience, Through the survey and focus groups, data were collected and analyzed to describe the (a) characteristics of data gathering, organizing, summarizing and reporting assessment practices; (b) demographics or teacher characteristics that relate to assessment practices; and (c) beliefs or opinions related to assessment in elementary general music in Iowa. Findings from this study indicate that observation was the most prevalent means of gathering assessment data. Organizing and summarizing practices were variable, with no common standard reported by respondents. Both academic content and non-academic behavioral aspects were summarized by a majority of the respondents. Report cards were the most frequently used reporting tools with a majority of the respondents required to attend parent-teacher conferences. Statistical significance was found between certain demographic variables and other reported practices. As the school size of the respondents increased, so did the reported level of challenges with assessment. As the years of teaching experience increased, so did the overall quantity of organizing and summarizing practices as well as the reported abilities in completing assessments in general. Attitudes toward assessment, in general, were negative, with barriers to assessment reported as large class sizes, demanding teaching schedules, large total numbers of students, and lack of preparation time. The focus groups also identified student misbehaviors as a barrier to gathering assessment data. Results from this study add to the literature on how elementary general music teachers (in Iowa) assess students. AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES OF ELEMENTARY GENERAL MUSIC TEACHERS IN IOWA A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Approved: ___________________________________________ Dr. Robert Boody, Chair ___________________________________________ Dr. Deborah Tidwell, Committee Member ___________________________________________ Dr. Linda Fitzgerald, Committee Member ___________________________________________ Dr. Cayla Bellamy, Committee Member Michelle Linn Hyde Swanson University of Northern Iowa July, 2017 ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my husband, Chad; my children, Matthew and Elizabeth; and my parents, Dexter and Sandra Hyde. I love you. IN MEMORIAM This dissertation is in loving memory of my Aunt Beverly Riess who I miss so very much. She always encouraged me in my teaching, research, and creativity. I finished this for her. Also in memory of Dr. Lynn Nielsen who was an original member of my dissertation committee. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to give my utmost thanks to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is only by the grace of God that this degree and this research were ever completed. The signs were so clear and so timely. Thank you, God, for putting everything in place for this to happen successfully. May this work bring glory to Your name! I would like to thank my family. My amazing husband has had to put up with an absentee and stressed out wife for years! Your patience and encouragement was overwhelming. Thanks for paying my u-bill and encouraging me to go back each semester! My children have been SO patient with me! No more grouchy-ouchy mom, I promise! I hope you value education and have seen how education has changed my life. I hope you always reach for your educational goals. My parents have been unbelievable help. Between picking up my kids, doing laundry, dishes, running errands, fixing things... I never, ever would have finished this without you both. How many times did you drop me off at the library, so I wouldn’t have to walk so far??? My sister also kept me able to get this done with her helpfulness, advice, and words of encouragement, and especially talking to me on the phone as I walked home from the library in the dark! Anne, our babysitter and pseudo-family member, also provided much support and cared for my kids during doc school! I would like to thank all of my dissertation committee members for their patience and care with my topic and research. Without you, this would not have happened. I would very much like to thank my two wonderful advisors, Dr. Tidwell and Dr. Schneider. They were a blessing so many times throughout my studies. Their patience, advice, editing, and just uplifting encouragement was priceless. I have also had some iv amazing instructors in my doctoral studies. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. Dr. Jeanne Steele, Dr. Charlotte Haselhuhn, Dr. Robert Boody, and Dr. Sandra Alper were some of my favorites! Honestly, without the continual support and encouragement from Dr. Boody, I probably never would have finished. Thank you for never giving up on me. I would also like to thank the staff at the UNI ROD Library. The circulation desk was very familiar with my face and their courteous and helpful service was invaluable. The Interlibrary Loan department, reference librarians, and the student helpers were unbelievably helpful and kind. I also need to thank my wonderful music education students at UNI. Thank you for your patience as I continued to work, research, and write. The prayers from CPAF, the patience of my advisees, the specific support from Emily, Alyssa, Acacia, Kelly, Bonnie, and Ashley were so important. To my church family, thank you for the prayers. God is so good! I am so blessed by your continued prayerful support and love. Lastly, I would like to thank my wonderful friends. Without you, this never would have happened. Your continued prayerful support over the years was preciously important. Dyan, I never would have ever been able to conquer this degree without you, my sister in Christ, in my life. Joy, Nicole, Traci, Lynnette, Karen, Nichole, Brandy, and so many more - thank you. Thanks, too, for putting up with me NOT being available to do all of the things with you. No more studying for me! Let’s do lunch - every day!!! v TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................1 Background to the Problem ...........................................................................................1 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................4 Purpose of Study ............................................................................................................5 Research Questions ........................................................................................................6 Significance of Study ....................................................................................................7 Organization of Study ...................................................................................................8 CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ...................................................................10 History of Assessment .................................................................................................11 History of Assessment in Education ......................................................................11 Changes