A comparison of the effects of learning sequence activities and vocal development exercises on the vocal music achievement of middle level students

The purpose of this study is to develop and examine procedures to enhance the vocal music achievement of middle level students. The specific problems investigated in this study include (a) a comparison of the effects of Learning Sequence Activities and Vocal Development Exercises on the individual vocal music achievement of seventh grade students; (b) an investigation of the differential effects of levels of music aptitude on the individual vocal music achievement of seventh grade students; and (c) a comparison of the effects of Learning Sequence Activities and Vocal Development Exercises on the group vocal music achievement of seventh grade students.;Fifty-eight beginning choral music students were administered the AMMA as a reliable measure of music aptitude. Using stratified randomization based on composite aptitude score, the sample at each site was divided into two treatment groups. One treatment group received 14 weeks of vocal music instruction which included Learning Sequence Activities; the other treatment group received 14 weeks of vocal music instruction which included Vocal Development Exercises. Following the treatment period, subjects in each treatment group performed one choral etude and three solo etudes as measures of vocal music achievement. These performances were audiotaped and rated independently by three judges with the use of researcher-designed rating scales, including tonal, rhythm, and expressive dimensions.;Main effects, determined using a multiple analysis of variance procedure, were found both for treatment and aptitude, although no significant interaction was found between treatment and aptitude. The significant results of this study include: (a) those students who receive instruction that includes learning sequence activities perform at higher levels of individual vocal music achievement than those students who receive instruction that includes vocal development exercises in researcher-assisted solo performance, student-prepared solo performance, and solo performance with no prior preparation; (b) those students who receive instruction that includes learning sequence activities have higher levels of individual tonal, rhythmic, and expressive music achievement than those students who receive instruction that includes vocal development exercises; (c) those students with high music aptitude perform at higher levels of individual music achievement than those students with moderate or low music aptitude.