Full Thesis April 30
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! ABSTRACT Title of Thesis: THE RESPONSES AND REFLECTIONS OF TWO STUDENTS WITH AUTISM BASED ON THEIR EXPERIENCES CREATING, PERFORMING, AND RESPONDING TO MUSIC: A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY Amy C. Weishaar, Master of Arts, 2014 Thesis directed by: Professor Janet Montgomery Department of Music Education The purpose of this study was to describe the responses and reflections of two middle school students with autism as they created, performed, and responded to music during a series of six lessons. A multiple case study methodology was employed. The data collected included audio and video recordings of interviews and lessons, field notes, and work samples. Within-case analyses revealed that one participant communicated primarily through the use of musical and non-verbal modes, with varied levels of communication through words, while the second participant communicated largely through written and spoken language. Four cross-case themes emerged: voluntary cooperative learning style, awareness of popular music culture, sanguine affects, and unique, but functioning responsive and reflective capacities. The findings indicated that both students’ were descriptive, reflective, associative, creative, emotive and empathetic in their own way, and this provided insight into their learning style. Implications for music education and suggestions for future research are provided. ! THE RESPONSES AND REFLECTIONS OF TWO STUDENTS WITH AUTISM BASED ON THEIR EXPERIENCES CREATING, PERFORMING AND RESPONDING TO MUSIC: A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY By Amy C. Weishaar Thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2014 Advisory Committee: Professor Janet Montgomery, Chair Professor Michael Hewitt Professor Kenneth Elpus ! © Copyright by Amy C. Weishaar 2014 ! ""! “The multiple perspectives and responses which inevitably emerge reflect the messiness of the realities of learning in and through the arts.” Sarah Hennessy, Reflective Practice in Arts Education. ! """! For Kimberly Some good comes out of everything. ! "#! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The success of this project must be credited to the two children who donated expressions of their heart and mind to help inform the music education profession. This work would not have been possible without your willingness to share a glimpse of yourself with me, and the world. You have my deepest gratitude. I sincerely thank my advisor, Dr. Janet Montgomery. During this journey, you have joyfully guided me every step of the way. Thank you so much for the time, effort, and energy you have spent on my behalf. You have always met me with a smile, open ears, concern and loads of wisdom. The conversations we have shared rooted in our mutual love of children who learn differently always made me feel understood and at home. Your teaching has helped me to participate in academic discourse on a level I never imagined. You are the greatest. I give special thanks to my committee, Dr. Michael Hewitt and Dr. Kenneth Elpus, as well as, special guest, Dr. Stephanie Prichard. You have helped me clarify and think critically about my research purpose, process, and report. Your efforts have directed and strengthened this document tremendously. Thank you so much. I would also like to thank Dr. Bruce Carter. Your classes were central to my graduate experience, and your words of encouragement meant so much to me. Because of you, this paper was impossible not to write. Marty Weishaar, you are my color, my light, and my warmth. I could not have done this without your love, support, and great cooking. Thank you. Lastly, I’d like to thank my family for the years of feeding my inner child through laughter, play, wonderment, and love. Thank you for helping me see the wisdom in it as I grew. And, thank you for your patience and encouragement. I love you. ! #! TABLE OF CONTENTS ! LIST OF TABLES!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!#$$$! LIST OF FIGURES!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!$%! CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!&! Meeting Harper and Callie ...................................................................................... 1! Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................ 2! The Purpose of this Study ....................................................................................... 4! Conceptual Foundations .......................................................................................... 4! The Responsibilities of Music Educators in Special Education ................. 4! The Extraordinary Relationship Between Music and Autism .................... 7! Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................... 9! John Dewey and Experience ..................................................................... 10! Bennett Reimer and the Meaning Dimension of Musical Experience ...... 11! The National Standards of Music Education ............................................ 16! Learning Environments that Utilize Student Responses and Reflections . 17! The Operational Definition of Communication .................................................... 18! Framing the Research Question ............................................................................ 19! Choice of Methodology: Multiple Case Study ..................................................... 20! Limitations of this Study ....................................................................................... 22! Definitions of Terms ............................................................................................. 23! Overview of Chapters ........................................................................................... 25! CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!'(! Introduction ........................................................................................................... 26! The Nature of Autism Spectrum Disorder ............................................................ 26! Cognition ................................................................................................... 28! Social Skills and Communication ............................................................. 30! Communication of Emotion and Alexithymia .......................................... 32! Communication and the Zygonic Theory ................................................. 33! The Extraordinary Relationship Between Music and Autism .............................. 34! Alexithymia and the Recognition of Musical Emotions ........................... 36! Social Interaction through Zygonic Relationships .................................... 38! Responses and Reflections of Children and Adolescents With Autism ............... 40! Responses and Reflections of Neurotypical Children and Adolescents ............... 41! Ethnographic Studies ................................................................................ 41! Qualitative Music Education Studies ........................................................ 44! Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 53! CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!))! Introduction ........................................................................................................... 55! Research Overview ............................................................................................... 55! Case Study Research ............................................................................................. 56! The Use of the Case Study Methodology in this Study ........................................ 58! Teacher as Researcher ........................................................................................... 59! The Researcher’s Lens .......................................................................................... 60! ! #"! My Connection to Individuals with Disabilities and The Lab School ...... 60! My Experiences with Music and Art ........................................................ 63! Participants ............................................................................................................ 65! Research Site ......................................................................................................... 66! Access, Permissions and Confidentiality .............................................................. 67! The Educational Program ..................................................................................... 67! Lesson Plans .............................................................................................. 67! Schedule .................................................................................................... 68! Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 70! Overview of Data Gathering Strategies .................................................... 70! Data Collection Methods and Types ......................................................... 71! Data Preparation ...................................................................................................