LNU-RDO

RESEARCH CONCEPT PAPER

Researcher’s name: JAY P. MABINI
Jaymabz94@gmail.com
Mobile: 09097780586
Research Topic (broad area of interest) : Music
Research Title: Benefits of Music Notation Software to Music Teachers in
their Pedagogy of Teaching: A Case Study
Problem Statement
Music educators believe that music instruction is one of the difficult disciplines to be taught.
Music is one of the most complex, difficult to study, and important to study of all cultural
phenomena. In fact, among the most complex, difficult, and important of any phenomena
(Byrd, 2009). Music composition processes can be envisioned as complex systems involving
a plurality of operating levels and Music is not dependent on logical constructs unverified by
physical experience (Vaggione,2001). Compared to other subjects, it may be considered as
a skill-based subject. Making it so hard for teachers to teach the subject specially if has no
experience about music and notation itself. As the saying goes, a little knowledge is a
dangerous thing, this applies to music notation as much as to anything else (Byrd, 1994).
Through the advent of technology, software in many disciplines had been of big help to all
practitioners especially to music teachers in the development of music notation software and
be aware how western notation is used in instruction. Music notation is a graphical language,
which is comprised of different types of symbols and from the placement of these symbols in
relation to each other. Western music notation has played an important role in preserving
musical works created over several hundred years (Lassfolk, 2004). Now that score
preparation programs are growing up, perhaps this is even evidence that they are growing
up, they’re suffering from one of the typical problems of adolescence; they act as if they
know everything (Byrd, 1994). Composers use computers not only as “number crunching”
devices, but also as interactive partners to perform operations where the output depends on
actual performance (Vaggione,2001). With the help of these music notation software,
teachers will be able to teach music effectively.
,

Purpose Statement

This study therefore intends to identify the benefits of music notation software to music
teachers and how these affects their performance in terms of instruction.

Theoretical Framework

This study is anchored on the three theories of learning Kearsley & Schneiderman (1999)
Myers & Wilson (2000) and; Bandura (2009)

Engagement Theory is a framework for technology-based teaching and. Its fundamental

underlying idea is that students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through
interaction with others and worthwhile tasks. While in principle, such engagement could
occur without the use of technology, Kearsley and Schneiderman believe that technology can
facilitate engagement in ways which are difficult to achieve otherwise.
 The social cognitive theory is derived from constructing meaning and knowledge from social
influences. Albert Bandura, a well-known theorist of the social cognitive theory, conducted an
experiment to prove how social influences including the media have adverse affects on
people, especially children. People are continually learning and constructing meaning
throughout their whole life from communications within their community and now through the
Internet.

Situated Cognition is a learning theory which supports the idea that learning occurs only
when situated within a specific context.  It believes that learning takes place in a learning
community or community of practice, where the learners take an active role in the learning
community.  It involves a process of interaction between the learners within the community,
the tools available within the specific situation and the physical world.  It is within this active
participation, this interaction (whether with tools, artifacts or other people), where knowledge
is located.  Therefore knowing evolves as the learners participate and interact within the new
situation.  Cognition is linked to the action the learners in the community take, whether it is
physical in nature or a reflective process within the learners themselves (Myers & Wilson,
2000).

Research Questions
Central Question: What are the benefits of using music notation software to music teachers?

Specific questions:
1. What are the music notation software that is presently used by music teachers?
2. What are the benefits of music notation software to music teachers in their instruction?
3. How do these music notation software affect the performance of their instruction?

Methodology (design, data collection, data analysis, ethical considerations)

Design- This is a qualitative research study employing the descriptive case study design. This
qualitative process adopts to reveal perceptions in a naturalistic and holistic way.

Participants- The participants of this study are five music faculty members of a Philippine
University. They were chosen as participants for the researcher believes that they have met
that criteria in choosing the participants. Another set of participants will be added depending
on the saturation of data.

Sampling - purposive sampling will be employed in this study. The selection of participants
will be based on the following criteria: 1) They should be a music faculty member with at least
experience in teaching music; 2) They should have an experience in using music notation
software in their instruction; 3) They should be willing to participate in this study.

Data Collection
 Interview
 Teaching observation
 Observation Checklist

Data Analysis-
Unit of analysis – Benefits to teachers in the use of music notation software.
Method- Content analysis will be used in this study as a technique that explores the
content of various media in order to discover how particular issues are presented (Elo &
Kyngas, 2008) and to establish objectivity, generalizability and systematic relevant
 content (Krispendorff, 1990). The data from the interview will then be transcribed and
codes will be generated to create general categories about the given data.
Validation Procedures-
 Triangulation will be used to make sure of the validity and reliability of the data
from the interview, teaching observation, and observation checklist.
 The transcribed data from the interview will be given back to the participants for
the authenticity and veracity of the information.
 The generated categories will be presented to unify the categories as general
ideas in the study.

Ethical considerations-
 Consent to the participants will be secured to make sure all participants are willing to
be part of the study
 The researcher will ensure confidentiality of the data gathered from the participants
 The researcher’s assumptions about the study will then be bracketed to avoid biases
and will make sure that the data that arise will be the data from the participants.

References

Bandura, A. (2009). Social cognitive theory of mass communication. In J. Bryant & M. Oliver
(Eds.), Media effects 3rd edition (pp. 94-124). New York: Routledge.

Byrd, D. (1994). Music notation software and intelligence. Computer Music Journal, 18(1), 17-20.

Byrd, D. (2009). Studying Music is Difficult and Important: Challenges of Music Knowledge
Representation. In Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings. Schloss Dagstuhl-Leibniz-Zentrum für
Informatik.
Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1998). Engagement theory: A framework for technology-based
teaching and learning. Educational technology, 38(5), 20-23.
Myers, K. M., & Wilson, B. G. (2000). Situated Cognition in Theoretical and Practical Context. In D.
Jonassen, & L. S. M., Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments (pp. 57-88). New Jersey:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Lassfolk, K. (2004). Music Notation as Objects: An Object-Oriented Analysis of the Common

Western Music Notation System.

Vaggione, H. (2001). Some ontological remarks about music composition processes. Computer

Music Journal, 25(1), 54-61.