Active Music Learning Research Group

CLOSING REPORT

MTA-LFZE Active Music Learning Research Group 2016-2021

"This study was funded by the Content Pedagogy
Research Programme of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences."

We successfully accomplished the research plan of the 4-year-long programme. We realized the main commitments of the “Active music learning with singing and movement – methods and their effect study”: (1) developing two, movement-based music pedagogy model, (2) discovering their effects on behavioral and neurocognitive fields, (3) continuous and public dissemination of our research work and results.

Both models are compatible with the Kodály Concept and the traditional methodology of Hungarian music teaching, but also give a new horizon to the public education: include movements and body learning into the practice of music pedagogy and musical development. On the other hand, the novelty “Active music learning with singing and movement” research is the evidence-based perspective, through the analysis and results of cognitive neuroscience and psychology. For the examination of musical and non-musical transfer effects, researchers applied psychological tests and electrophysiological measurement tools.

During the research project, six institutions’ collaboration was realized. The applicant and at the same time the leader of the research was the Kodály Institute of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, which established a partnership with the Brain Imaging Centre of the Research Centre of Natural Sciences. Further, most important participants were those public education institutes whose music learning and control classes provided the basis of the innovative methodological work.

I.) According to the objectives and schedule of the original plan, within the frames of pedagogical content development, the models of the Active music learning were created for the beginning years of elementary school:

1st model: Creative singing games with rhythmic movements (for the development of skills and abilities in primary school; 1-3 Grade)

2nd model: Dynamic music learning (adaptation of the Kokas pedagogy in music teaching; 1-4 Grade)

The effectiveness of the research and innovation was not only established by the conceptualization of the two models, but the creation of teaching guides prepared to assist the practical implementation. These are presented and shared detailly and in didactical order in Hungarian on the following online platform: https://aktivzenetanulas.hu 

II.) In the topic of the effect study we formulated research questions related to the development of musical and non-musical abilities and their transfer effects. With the help of different behavioral and electrophysiological measuring tools we analyzed how the two models shape the neural and cognitive development of the children. During the longitudinal study we compared experimental and control groups. The data collection was fulfilled impeccably during the first three years, but the provisions related to the COVID-19 pandemic made the last measurements impossible in the academic year of 2019/20. However, the measurements of two full academic years provide us with valuable results about the tendencies.

III.) Our research group continuously published the results from the first year. This meant regular contact and communication with the teachers of the experimental lessons, the participating elementary schools and the parents. Furthermore, we carried out conference participations, training programmes, promotional events and the continuous updating of our website.

The MTA-LFZE Active Music Learning Research Group introduced the most important values and results of the project to a wider audience of professionals and those who were interested in the topic on the 27th of March, 2021 within the frames of a successful online (webinar-zoom) closing conference. (March 27th, 2021). https://youtu.be/xkjROXqWuxA 

Introduction of the summary
Author of the summary: Gabriella Deszpot

We successfully accomplished the working plan of the four-year programme. We carried out our most important commitments: two new music pedagogical models based on movement (for the beginning years of primary school), and the observation of the complex behavioral and neurocognitive effects of them (by psychological and electrophysiological measurement tools for examining musical and non-musical transfers).

The intensive dissemination of our results provides the opportunity for rethinking and further consideration of the internationally unique Hungarian Kodály Concept. The revised methodology can be more in harmony with the needs of 21st century’s education. The novel, but matured pedagogical practices realized in the two models can assist the enrichment of the methodological culture of music education in long term, providing experiences for both children and teachers.

During the research process, teachers working in the public education system and their institutions (including parents as well) got direct knowledge and possibilities for getting to know new pedagogical practices and their scientific background. They had the chance to realize the importance of demanding music pedagogy in the development of learning techniques and non-musical abilities.

The online handbooks and rich multimedia resources are available for the music teachers in Hungarian. Both in the case of Model 1: Creative singing games with rhythmic movements, and Model 2: Dynamic music learning it is predictable, that they will effect on the daily routine in public educational practice and they will be able to spread in teacher training and in post-graduate teacher training programmes.

Our interdisciplinary research group aimed to apply the principles of neuroscience in educational context. Participating researchers and highly-trained teachers connected research outcomes and pedagogical principles during the creation of new learning and instruction programmes and curriculums.

Results related to the four-year research programme were published in numerous scientific and promotional publications. Information is available in PhD dissertations, university theses, conference presentations, videos (https://kodaly.hu/kodaly_mta-lfze/kutatasi-redmenyeink-117672 overview presentation (2019). https://kodaly.hu/data/kodaly.hu/mta_kutatas/20190314_enekmozgas_mta_oknt_deszpot.pdf)

MOST IMPORTANT CONCLUSIONS

The 1st model of Active music learning enriches the singing-based music pedagogy of Kodály through the active and conscious integration of directed movement. The working group, whose members are Edina Barabás and Borbála Szirányi, has a more than two decades teaching practice in the field of music pedagogy. Their primary goal was to find the way how to apply movement-based, playful perspective to assist conscious, professional musical skill development and learning. As an inspiration on one hand, Hungarian traditional singing games were applied, which effects positively on numerous musical and non-musical abilities. On the other hand, Lucinda Geoghegan, Scottish music pedagogue’s exercises were included, whose playful choreographies are operating with movement sequences of clapping, and highlight the rhythm, form, meter, and melodic features of the songs, or their opposites.

Through the detailed methodology, the created auditory-visual-kinesthetic experience activates children with different knowledge acquisition strategies by the tools of active music learning. Some of the developed individual, pair, and group games provide a motion system, which strictly follows a feature of the song – rhythm, melody line, form, meter – and consequently students enrich their knowledge through kinesthetic and visual experiences. Another type of exercises aims to develop polyphonic skills, multiple concentration, and shared concentration. While the third group of choreographies assists the shaping and correction of singing skills. During the construction of the model, there was a conscious effort to adapt the movement system to the ability of coordination and focus of the age group. Observations related to this topic are included in the description. These were administered in Városmajori Kós Károly Primary School’s two classes, in a special music class and in a class which learns music in general level.
Description of Model 1 is published in an online handbook in Hungarian: https://kodaly.hu/kodaly_mta-lfze/a-kutatas-zaro-produktumai-122204 

Author of the summary: Borbála Szirányi

A handbook for the 1st model of Active Music Learning was written by Borbála Szirányi. She presents a methodological mindset that helps teachers to construct creative singing games fitting to their own possibilities and the ability level of their group. Members of the working group recommend the game-descriptions of the teachers’ handbook and multimedia pool as inspiration (https://aktivzenetanulas.hu), which contains 133 videos and their descriptions for musical and non-musical classes, grades 1-3. The model calls all activities containing movements related to singing as a creative singing game. One of the main aims of the work was to produce varied and interesting singing games, so the authors bravely experimented with the number of the participants and the applied spatial patterns.

In their methodological work it was an important aspect to observe, how difficult and complex choreographies and movements children can learn easily and in a joyful way. And how the complexity of the exercises and movements changes with the development and age of the children. The second chapter of the handbook details the applied singing games by their types, number of players, and movements and spatial patterns. Based on the research and previous observations the well-proven movements and spatial patterns are presented in tables by school grades. Methodologically the most significant part of the book is chapter 3 and 4 where integration options of creative singing games and movements are presented regarding to skill development, knowledge acquisition and directed music listening. Besides the development of sense of measure, meter and musical forms, and polyphonic skills, the book presents exercises which can be applied in any period of teaching new rhythms or notes and also introduces the rhythm sounding system, called body rhythm, created by the authors.

Author of the summary: Gabriella Deszpot

Creating the 2nd model means the successful integration of Kokas-pedagogy to the first four years of primary school music education in classes with a basic music curriculum having two music lessons a week. The model was named Dynamic music learning. In the Hungarian name the term “singingmusic” breaks with grammar rules and represents the principle of the method: the unity of singing and music, introduces the possibility of adaptive learning connected to free movement during musical knowledge acquisition.

In a nutshell, Dynamic music learning is a creative practice of musical ability development in the spirit of Kodály-concept, which mainly integrates Klára Kokas’ movement-based singing, music listening methods with the tools of the Ádám-Kodály method.

The content pedagogy model was established by an extensively trained research-working group: Tamara Farnadi, Gabriella Deszpot, Sára Buda, Katalin Körtvési. The main steps of the multiannual methodological work were the followings: planning of teaching – experimental teaching in base schools – video documentation of teaching lessons in the form of situational recordings – coding of the units of video notes, saving them to different kind of data carriers, their selection and evaluation – reflective logging of teaching – consultations between researchers and developers – following teaching (other teacher in an other school accomplish the same lesson material) – self-reflection about the following teaching – feedback to the lesson planning and finalization of teaching materials – categorization, selection of processed materials to publish them online in order to help teachers and music teachers.

The achievement and final product of the research group proves that connection Kokas-pedagogy, and its creative, complex practice with the solfege-based, traditional Kodály-concept is achievable in experiential music teaching. The Kokas-pedagogy has a raison d’etre in children’s system-level training in the 21st century. Description of the 2nd model is published in an online handbook in Hungarian: https://kodaly.hu/kodaly_mta-lfze/a-kutatas-zaro-produktumai-122204 

Author of the summary: Gabriella Deszpot

Theoretical background and practical guidance were published in a methodological guide (handbook) to help teachers in understanding Model 2. The book renews the interpretation of the “Kokas-emblems” and deepens the content of the following categories: creative singing, discovering music listening, linguistic creativity, multi-level imagery. The next chapter makes easy to understand the new dynamic-emblems in the form of question and answer (e.g. body awakening exercises, experience-theme, connection-song, pencil dance). This personal tone, professional explanation can be a motivation in daily practice of the methodology, and the further parts of the book provide help in the realization of pedagogical planning and documentation. The book is enriched by the list of recommended literature, pictures, and 11 activated film-etude – the latter creates a new genre as a content delivery platform in learning and instruction. (Examples: https://kodaly.hu/kodaly_mta-lfze/galeria-117684: Pedagogical film-etudes of Dynamic music learning. A selection from the video material of Model 2. Pedagógiai filmetűdök a Dinamikus énekzene-tanulásról. Válogatás a 2. modell filmanyagaiból)

The multimedia example pool uploaded to the website https://aktivzenetanulas.hu is the most useful tool in the introduction of dynamic music learning. The collection arranges the video notes recorded in music lessons into two main categories. These are the creative singing games and the creative music inclusion, altogether 70 examples from 4 school grades and several years. For the deeper understanding of the collection information is available on the presentation site: themed musical knowledge, teacher instruction collection, lesson plan, curriculum proposal, music theory branching and repertoire list. We must highlight, that under the videos there are recommending essays and annotations, helping the understanding of the video material by explanation texts.

The free, online available example pool provides text documents as well which help the everyday work of teachers. These are the following: curriculum proposals for Grade 1-3 (72-72 lessons); 36 lesson descriptions in the newly designed structure, two instruction collection, song, and music repertoire collection for Grade 1-4.

Author of the summary: Borbála Lukács

The effect study of the Active Music Learning models was inspired by those national and international research results which proved that childhood music learning effects positively on musical abilities and on not directly trained other abilities as well. Despite the fact, that more and more empirical evidence is available related to the advantages of music learning, effect measurement of music methodology carried out in school environment received only a little attention so far. Thus, one of the primary aims of our work in the Content Pedagogy Research programme, to realize the holistic effect study of primary level music education in the field of musical and non-music abilities with lower elementary school students. With our follow-up research, we aimed to answer the question, how movements integrated into music education affects significantly on ability development.

In our longitudinal research, three classes participated in which teachers followed the active music learning methodology, and another one with traditional music education. Quasi 100 students’ ability development was followed from the first days of primary school to the end of the second school year. During this process, we carried out measurements three times in individual and group settings (at the beginning and at the end of Grade1, and at the end of Grade 2). The test-battery contains up-to-date measurement tools suitable for the level of the examined age group in music perception, reproduction, sensorimotor entrainment, language abilities, executive functions, intellect, creativity and social skills. With the help of the test-battery we were able to create the complex ability-profile of the children and define the developmental trends of the participating classes in the context of different music pedagogy models. The results of the effect studies related to the Active music learning methodology were published in national and international journals and in a study volume as the closing product of the project. 

Authors of the summary: Ferenc Honbolygó and Emese Maróti

In the electrophysiological studies, the main research aim was to discover the developmental differences in brain processing of musical phenomena between those children who learn music with active music learning methodology and those who are involved in traditional music lessons. We found differences only between the processing of certain musical phenomena (e.g. temporal features), at the same time we found developmental changes only in the case of very few phenomena. This indicates that our applied experimental paradigm was difficult for the participants, and it required serious efforts from the neural systems processed the examined features. The EEG test carried out to measure tempo tracking, sense of meter and knocking of rhythm pointed out – in harmony with previous studies – that the sense of meter develops earlier than the auditory processes preparing movements, and interaction of auditory and motoric areas. Tempo tracking, knocking on rhythm and nervous system activity related to sense of meter developed similarly in both groups. These neural processes haven’t fully developed until the age of 8 in either group. (Detailed information: Maróti, E. (2020). Behavioral and neural effects of auditory entrainment. (Doctoral dissertation, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary). https://repozitorium.omikk.bme.hu/handle/10890/13358)

The author of the summary: Borbála Lukács

We prepared a study volume to present the psychological neuroscience and results of the impact assessments related to the methodological development of Active music learning. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of our research, this volume is an informative and easy to follow presentation of the research conception and empirical results not just for researchers but also for practicing teachers, university students and all, who are interested in this topic. (Ferenc Honbolygó, Borbála Lukács (Eds.) 2021: Psychological and neuroscience impact assessment of the two models of active music learning. (Authors: Kata Asztalos, Emese Maróti, Borbála Lukács, Ferenc Honbolygó). Támogatott Kutatócsoportok Irodája, Budapest. Támogatott Kutatócsoportok Irodája, Budapest)

The study volume begins with a theoretical chapter, which introduces the cognitive and neuroscience background of musical transfers. This chapter is a gap-filling work in Hungarian and international music psychology literature and a useful summary for those, who want to get up-to-date knowledge about musical transfer effects.

The next chapters of the volume summarize the psychological and neuroscience results of the first two years of school. Two chapters present the psychological effects of the two active music pedagogical models besides the traditional music education following the principles of Kodály. The second study concentrates on the development of music perception and reproduction, and the third presents the measured development of language abilities, executive functions, general intelligence, creativity, and empathy in the four examined classes. The last two chapters of the volume examined the impact of school music education with electrophysiological methods, with the participation of a traditional class and the class of the Model 1. The research aim was to explore the developmental differences between the classes learning with active music learning and with traditional methodology in the brain processes of musical phenomena, tempo tracking, sense of meter and knocking on rhythm tasks.

The studies of the volume highlight the application possibilities of active music learning methods in school environment and in ability development, besides, they draw attention to the further necessity of psychological and neuroscience research of the movement-based music education programmemes. Public access in Hungarian from the menu of “Closing documents of the research” https://kodaly.hu/kodaly_mta-lfze/a-kutatas-zaro-produktumai-122204 

International impact of the research

The intensive dissemination of the research results provided the opportunity to synchronize the Kodály Concept and the rethought, refocused and updated methodology of the internationally unique Hungarian music pedagogy with the needs of the 21st century education. The novel but matured, creative pedagogical practices realized in the two models can contribute to the enrichment of the culture of music education in Hungary and internationally and they can help to construct complex, experience-oriented and enjoyable developmental music lessons for both students and teachers.

The activity of our research group is more and more well-known in abroad as well. The list of scientific and methodological presentations (in Hungarian) (VI. attachment^[4]) and the list of publications (in English, it can be found on this website) shows the lively and effective dissemination activity.

The four-year achievement is 85 scientific and methodological presentation, from which 33 are international and 17 were presented abroad. These are slightly in connection and overlap with the presentations of the 1st model’s authors who held 80 professional presentations for nearly 1000 participants. Related to our programmeme there were 37 workshops in Hungary and abroad with nearly 650 participants.

Some example for the venues of these occasions: Wien, Beograd, Braila, Como, Constanta, Csengtu, Debrecen, Dublin, Dubrovnik, Eisenstadt, Glasgow, Graz, Jerusalem, Kecskemét, Copenhagen, Köln, Mór, New York, Pécs, Perth, Szeged, Székesfehérvár, Terre Haute.

[4] https://kodaly.hu/data/articles/122/1221/article-122198/vi.mell_tudomanyos-oktatasi_eloadasok.pdf 

Publication selection

publications in English by members of the research group until July 2020