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theses

In the last century, the practice of improvisation has distinguished jazz and set it apart from other musical genres and their performance practices (Azzara, 2002; Coker, 1978). Despite available resources, improvisation’s role in the National Core Arts Standards (NCCAS, 2014), and jazz’s significance in school music programs (Azzara, 2002; Sarath, 2002; Watson, 2010), inconsistencies in music improvisation education have persisted. To explain deficiencies in improvisation education, researchers have proposed a lack of teacher experience (Alexander, 2012; Azzara, 1999) and a need for greater pre-service teacher preparation (Watson, 2010; West, 2015). Educators and music students may therefore benefit from research-based best practices for teaching jazz improvisation. Existing research has studied the effectiveness of jazz improvisation instruction in general (e.g., Bash, 1983; Coy, 1989; Watson, 2010) and which personal characteristics predict positive outcomes (e.g., Ciorba, 2009; Madura, 1996; May, 2003). Future research should investigate which methods are most effective (Azzara, 2002; Bowman, 1988; May, 2003) and at which stages of musical development (Azzara, 2002; Bowman, 1988; Kratus, 1995). The purpose of this design-based, sequential explanatory mixed methods study, was to investigate if and how four critical features of a beginning jazz improvisation learning environment affected outcomes for middle school instrumentalists, including whether one of two instructional sequences better supported outcomes. The learning environment was designed to support achievement, self-assessment, self-efficacy, and motivation outcomes. Over 12 weeks, 5th-8th grade instrumentalists (n=43) at two sites studied jazz improvisation in 6 jazz combos, which were divided into Groups A and B. The design features of the learning environment were consistent between groups; the two conditions differed by harmonic form instructional sequences. Quantitative data for all outcomes was collected pre-, mid-, and post-instruction, and all instruction was video recorded. Primary findings showed: (a) a significant effect on all measured outcomes over time, not only for the 12-week duration of the instructional period but even in the first 6 weeks; (b) no significant differences between conditions for any outcomes; (c) a significant interaction between assessed task and achievement; (d) minimal significant relationships among outcomes; (e) evidence of how design features acted as sources of positive outcomes.

ETD_9879

Ed.D.

Includes bibliographical references

doi:10.7282/t3-g5h9-fz68

ETD doctoral

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