Analysis of qualities and attributes of secondary school instrumental music teachers in their role of conductor-educator

164 Pages·1991·3.3 MB·English

by  Vallo, Victor

AN ANALYSIS OF QUALITIES AND ATTRIBUTES OF
SECONDARY SCHOOL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC TEACHERS
IN THEIR ROLE OF CONDUCTOR-EDUCATOR
By
VICTOR VALLO JR,
A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
1991
Copyright 1991
by
Victor Vallo Jr.
This work is gratefully and lovingly
dedicated to my mother,
Vincie P. Vallo
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There are many persons who must be acknowledged
who made this research project not only possible but
helped bring this work to its gratifying fruition. Among
these persons are those who provided guidance, those
who provided research assistance, and still others who
provided emotional support--all necessary for so challenging
a project. Although it is difficult to adequately thank
all of these persons for their contributions, I will
nevertheless attempt to do so here.
I want to first acknowledge and thank the chair
of my supervisory committee, Dr. Charles Hoffer, whose
untiring guidance and patience was most inspiring to
me during the entirety of this work. I wish to also
thank all the members of my supervisory committee, Drs.
Phyllis Dorman, Camille Smith, Russell Robinson, David
Kushner, Raymond Chobaz and David Miller, for their
,
personal and individually specific guidance and suggestions
that in total helped to fine-tune this work to levels
of scholarship that I am now only beginning to realize.
I also owe a debt of gratitude to Robena Cornwell,
University of Florida Music Librarian, whose patience
and information skills were of vast help to me in finding
the sources that were needed for the scope of this work.
IV
In every person's life there are those special people
that somehow have touched and continue to touch your
life in all manner possible. There are five such people.
I wish to first thank my mother and father (deceased)
who not only brought me into this world, but showed me
how to help make this world a better place for others.
Their moral support and untiring love have been a guiding
force to me. As simple as it may sound, my mother's
words, "Just do it," would often echo as subliminal words
of encouragement, even when she was not always around.
I want to thank my uncle, Jimmy Collora, for his
belief in me and in my desire to always do what I set
out to do. Without his lifetime of caring and support,
I would not be as I am today.
I want to thank my sister, Victoria Dicheck, and
her family for understanding me and being there when
I needed them. They are a constant source of support
for which I am most grateful.
Finally, I wish to offer heartfelt thanks to my
best and dearest friend, Eileen Bellino, who was there
from start to finish. Through her constant willingness
to help in whatever ways possible, be it proofreading,
typing, preparing the surveys, and so forth, Eileen was
there. I often would tease her and say that if I could
not finish this project, she knew enough about it to
finish it for me and us. With her endless help and support,
our friendship and this work together grew in joy! (S.D.G)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv
ABSTRACT viii
CHAPTERS
I INTRODUCTION 1
Need for the Study 2
Purpose of the Study 4
Research Questions 5
Scope of the Study 6
Limitations 7
Assumptions 7
Definitions 8
Organization of the Study 10
Conclusion 11
II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 12
Introduction 12
Related Research on Personality 13
Related Research on Musicianship 25
Related Research on Pedagogy 36
Theoretical Models 44
III QUALITIES AND ATTRIBUTES OF THE
CONDUCTOR-EDUCATOR 5
Personal Qualities 51
Musical Attributes 54
Pedagogical Attributes 58
Summary 61
IV METHODS AND MATERIALS 62
Questionnaire 62
Pilot Study 63
Subjects for the Study 64
Description of the Sample 65
Procedures 70
Analysis of Data 71
VI
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY 72
Evaluation of Qualities 72
Comments from Surveyed Directors 84
VI APPLICATIONS TO TEACHING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC. .91
Rank Order of Qualities 92
Applications to Selection and Training .94
. . .
Selection 94
Training 96
Applications to Teaching 99
Personal Qualities: Leader 99
Musical Attributes: Musician 107
Pedagogical Attributes: Educator 113
Summary 124
VII SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 126
.
Summary 126
Conclusions 129
Implications 131
Recommendations 133
Coda 135
APPENDICES 136
A PILOT LETTER 136
B MAIN SURVEY LETTER 137
C QUESTIONNAIRE 139
D INDICATORS 141
E FOLLOW-UP POSTCARD 143
REFERENCES 144
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 151
Vll
.
Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School
of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
AN ANALYSIS OF QUALITIES AND ATTRIBUTES OF
SECONDARY SCHOOL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC TEACHERS
IN THEIR ROLE OF CONDUCTOR-EDUCATOR
By
Victor Vallo Jr.
August, 1991
Chairman: Dr. Charles R. Hoffer
Major Department: Department of Music
The conductor-educator is a leader, musician, and
pedagogue. Because school band and orchestra directors
must function effectively for student learning to take
place, the conductor-educator needs to possess a number
of personal, musical, and pedagogical qualities and
attributes. Both the writings of experts and the ensemble
directors in the field endorse these traits as essential
for teaching
The purposes of this study were to (1) determine
the opinions of secondary school instrumental ensemble
directors regarding the importance of the particular
qualities and attributes in contrast to the existing
research and writings on the topic; (2) examine the relative
values of the designated personal, musical, and pedagogical
qualities and attributes of the conductor-educator; and
Vlll
(3) compare the opinions of school band and orchestra
directors regarding the importance of the designated
qualities and attributes.
Related research and writings were examined pertaining
to the designated traits. From this analysis, 27 qualities
and attributes were determined. Two models, Teacher
Education in Music: Final Report (1972) and Music Teacher
Education; Partnership and Process (1987), were used
as a framework for structuring this study and for comparing
the perspectives by instrumental ensemble directors in
the field. The qualities were then rated as to their
importance through a questionnaire that was sent to 200
school band and orchestra directors. The data were analyzed
by using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques.
The results of the study indicated that all the
designated personal, musical, and pedagogical qualities
and attributes were considered important. However,
the values placed on some of the qualities varied in
the opinions of the research literature and the ensemble
directors who responded to the survey. Personal qualities
were rated highest in importance, followed by pedagogical
attributes, and then musical attributes. Both band and
orchestra directors rated personal qualities the most
important, but the orchestra directors rated the musical
attributes second in importance, while the band directors
rated the pedagogical attributes second.
IX
CHAPTER
I
INTRODUCTION
The conductor-educator is a leader, musician, and
pedagogue. Because ensemble directors of school musical
organizations need to function effectively in personal,
musical, and pedagogical domains to be successful, it
is important to study the relevant qualities of these
domains as they apply to music education in the schools.
Personal qualities consist of a number of traits
necessary to lead and guide the efforts of others such
as commanding presence, self-confidence, and organizational
ability. Musical qualities are those attributes based
upon musical training and include aural and modeling
skills, conducting techniques, and knowledge of music
history. Pedagogical qualities are those traits necessary
for teaching and include such qualities as knowledge
of psychology, knowledge of evaluation methods, and proper
use of resources. Because these qualities serve the
goal of teaching music, the conductor of a school ensemble
"is expected to lead and combine the skills of musicologist,
instrumentalist, community organizer, and psychologist
to accomplish his goal of leading an ensemble to communicate
musically" (Arcaya, 1975, p. 2).