Abstract:
The purpose of this phenomenological case study is to describe the participants’
experience of adult students’ keyboard practice habits and playing skills among level 100
students in the BMus Ed, BMus, and DMus programmes at the UEW, Music Education
Department in Winneba. The case study was conducted during 2018-2019 academic year
in the Department’s Piano Laboratory One. As a Graduate Assistant who worked at the
Piano Laboratory One, a preliminary investigation I conducted revealed that some adult
students in level 100 in all the three programmes (BMus Ed, BMus, and DMus) did not
do well in keyboard skills, and this ignited the study. The study employed
phenomenological research design under qualitative research paradigm. Out of a total
population of 11 lecturers who teach keyboard skills and 165 level 100 music students, a
sample of 5 lecturers and 30 music students were selected for the study, making a total
sample size of 35. Data was collected with semi-structured interview guides, conducted
face-to-face, and by mobile phone interactions, and also by observation. Field notes were
taken, and sessions of students’ practice depicting their keyboard playing abilities were
recorded using a multipurpose mobile phone (TECNO SPARK 5, 64 GB + 3 GB) for
transcription and analysis of results. Student respondents were examined on three types
of test items, viz., (i) technical exercises in key C, G, and F major scales for one octave;
(ii) classical pieces from the Hours with the Masters by Dorothy Bradley vol. 1. Primary
to Elementary; and (iii) hymn tunes from the Methodist Hymn Book (MHB). The study
came up with the following findings: A lot of level 100 students had no keyboard playing
experiences before their entry into the UEW which reflected their ability levels, and
decided the difficulty levels of the pieces (music) they chose for the three types of tests
administered. To enhance the overall improvement of keyboard skills in the Music
Education Department, the study has developed and proposed the following models: (i)
Keyboard Weekly Assignment Report Form [KWARF] to be used for monitoring
students’ practice and evaluation; (ii) Model of Sight-Reading and Performance in
Society; and (iii) A Monograph of Piano Teaching and Learning to Adult African
Students. Four recommendations were also made, namely (i) encouraging lecturers to use
the Keyboard Weekly Assignment Report Form [KWARF]; (ii) encouraging students to
practice the Sight-Reading drill [SR drill]; (iii) encouraging students to purchase their
own keyboards for practice and performance; and (iv) encouraging students to listen to
multimedia recordings on piano/keyboard performances.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Music Education, School of Creative Arts,
submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
(Arts and Culture)
in the University of Education, Winneba