Effects of Movement Instruction on Children's Singing Achievement Scores

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of movement instruction on children's singing achievement scores. When controlling for age, four overarching questions and nine sub-questions were asked. First, when controlling for age, how do pitch achievement scores at the outset compare to pitch achievement scores after movement instruction? 1) Is there a significant main effect of type of instruction on children's pitch achievement scores (between subjects)? 2) Is there a significant main effect of time on children's pitch achievement scores (within subjects)? 3) Is there a significant instruction and time interaction? Second, when controlling for age, how do rhythm achievement scores at the outset compare to rhythm achievement scores after movement instruction? 4) Is there a significant main effect of type of instruction on children's rhythmic achievement scores? 5) Is there a significant main effect of time on children's rhythmic achievement scores? 6) Is there a significant instruction and time interaction? Third, when controlling for age, how do singing voice development scores at the outset compare to scores after movement instruction? 7) Is there a significant main effect of type of instruction on children's singing voice development scores? 8) Is there a significant main effect of time on children's singing voice development scores? 9) Is there a significant instruction and time interaction? Fourth, descriptively, what is the effect of gender on students' pretest and posttest pitch achievement scores, rhythm achievement scores, and singing voice development measure scores? Second, third, and fourth grade students (N = 143) participated in the study. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups receiving different instruction: steady beat movement, continuous fluid movement, or a control group receiving no movement instruction. A researcher-designed criterion song was used as a pretest and posttest measure. Pitch and rhythm achievement scores were assessed using Praat Software. Three raters assessed singing performances using Rutkowski's Singing Voice Development Measure. Three split-plot Analyses of Covariance were run on the data. Results indicated that there was a significant interaction between treatment and time on pitch achievement scores. Post hoc analyses revealed no significant differences among treatment groups for pitch achievement scores. Results indicated that there was a significant interaction between treatment and time for Singing Voice Development Measure scores. Post hoc analyses revealed that the treatment group receiving continuous fluid movement significantly outscored the treatment group receiving steady beat movement. No significant differences were found on rhythm achievement scores. Descriptively, females outscored males on pitch, rhythm, and singing voice development measure scores for both pretest and posttest measures.