Erika Turmezeyné Heller, János Máth and László Balogh : Musical abilities and their school-based development

The present paper reports the most important results of the first two years of a thre year longitudinal study exploring the characteristics of the development of musical abilities between the ages 7 and 10 on a sample of approximately 300 pupils. A hierarchic system model and a corresponding task battery were constructed for the examination of the relationships between auditory discrimination, singing and music reading and writing abilities. As related to curricular requirements, the targeted age-group has been successful in acquiring the basic principles of music reading and writing as well as in auditory discrimination. The associative connection between sheet music and its sound developed dynamically in the second year of the project. However, reproduction by singing was possible only for a few children. The developmental pace differs for melodic and rhythmic abilities, therefore different cognitive processes can be assumed to provide their bases. A factor analysis was performed to examine the relations of the development of the individual domains. In the first year of the project, the different abilities could be grouped into three factors, of which the factor of musical knowledge was the most relevant, followed by singing and auditory discrimination. In the second year, however, singing became the most influential factor. By this time, an independent fourth factor also appeared, namely, music writing and interpreting. The importance of auditory discrimination decreased and the process of recognition was becoming more conscious in every field. The analysis of the factor structures revealed that music reading and writing has a positive effect on the development of musical cognition.

MAGYAR PEDAGÓGIA 105. Number 2. 207-2036. (2005)

Levelezési cím / Address for correspondence: Turmezeyné Heller Erika, ELTE Tenító- és Óvónőképző Főiskolai Kar, Ének-zenei Tanszék, H-1126 Budapest, Kiss János altábornagy u. 40, Máth János , Debreceni Egyetem BTK, Pszichológiai Intézet Szociál- és és Munkapszichológiai Tanszék, H-4010 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1; Balogh László, Debreceni Egyetem BTK, Pszichológiai Intézet Pedagógiai Pszichológiai Tanszék, H-4010 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1.

 
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