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Cognitive connections between body movement and rhythmic training in Primary Education.

A study with music teachers in Chile

Authors

  • José Álamos Gómez Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez
  • Jesús Tejada Universitat de València
  • Luz Moreno Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47553/rifop.v98i37.3.100661

Abstract

In the area of neurophysiology, it has been found that there is a great influence of motor development in the processing of music. Therefore, bodily expression seems to be an ideal way to approach musical rhythm on the school stage. The purpose of this research, which is part of a larger study, was to understand how music teachers in Chilean primary education perceive the relationship between rhythm and movement. In doing so, we sought to find links between their teaching practice and the theories and findings that address the cognitive relationships between these aspects. Data were collected by applying an online questionnaire to a population of 203 Chilean teachers. Within this instrument, eleven closed questions were included referring to the binomial rhythm-movement and three open questions related to rhythmic training in the classroom and the use of musical instruments. The information gathered revealed that the interviewees agree that the most effective means to develop rhythmic skills is body movement. Music teachers incorporate marching, dancing, choreographic structures, and body percussion to favor the acquisition of pulse, accents, and rhythmic phrases. Similarly, motor expression is frequently used as a didactic resource in group learning activities.

Author Biographies

Jesús Tejada, Universitat de València

Since 1989 I have been conducting applied research on the use of music technology and software design in musical creation and learning processes at the University of La Rioja, the University of Seville and the University of Valencia. At the U. of La Rioja, I conducted a study of contrasting cognitive styles and learning strategies of a computer program for editing scores, which won the research award of the College of Doctors and Graduates of Spain. There, I directed several research projects on music listening and technology funded by the Government of La Rioja. At the University of Seville (2003-2007) I led the research group (HUM-794) and conducted several applied researches on the use of technology in conservatory settings. I was PI of the research project SEJ2007/60405EDU funded by the MICINN (Tactus: Design, implementation and evaluation of a computer programme for rhythmic education in music conservatories) in which six Spanish and three Chilean universities participated. Its main result was the creation of a software for rhythmic training, Tactus, which was published in digital format by the Federación de Sociedades Musicales de la Comunitat Valenciana and distributed to its network of 600 music schools, as well as to the rest of the national network of music schools. Tactus is dedicated to the learning of initial level students, shaping the social and educational impact of the project and concretising an important transfer of research to society. The results have been reported in articles, international conferences and the defence of two related doctoral theses. The authors are currently university professors and researchers in both groups.
I have been contracted researcher in several Chilean projects that have involved the creation and validation of musical educational software, such as 'MusiMatematicas Sonoras Interactivas', dedicated to the learning of mathematical operations through sound and music in the field of Basic Education in Chile. This software has been registered in the Chilean intellectual property and exploited by the U. Metropolitana de CC. de la Educación and, later, by the U. Austral de Chile. It has been used in Mathematics teacher training courses and also by trainee teachers and students in Chilean elementary schools. Another software created in Chile was the music training platform EducaMus, aimed at generalist elementary school teachers. This was created as a result of a programme for the Attraction of Foreign Advanced Human Capital as a result of a contract from the National Commission for Research, Science and Technology (Chile) for a 10-month stay at the U. de La Serena. The platform was used in in-service training courses for generalist teachers and the results reported in scientific journals in education. The project also involved research training of university teachers from the U. Metropolitana de CC. de la Educación, U. de Chile and U. de La Serena.
In 2015, the FSMCV, through its Music Schools, Research and Innovation Area, commissioned our research team (GIUV2016-340), for which I am responsible, to create an online software for the students of its network of Music Schools (Cantus) whose function was to generate patterns for the student to sing and for the software to evaluate the students' response in real time. Cantus was published for all users of the FSMCV's network of music schools at https://www.cantus.es, which is freely accessible. The results were published in specialised music education and technology magazines. In these years, the software has had thousands of user visits, according to the Google Analytics report, constituting an important social and educational impact of the project. In 2019, our team generated the Aglaya Play software for collaborative composition in educational settings, which is in the process of being registered as intellectual property.
In 2020, our research team won funding for the project Design and validation of an educational solution for the training and assessment of instrumental intonation using advanced online software (Plectrus) (PID2019-105762GB-I00). It is a software designed to train and evaluate instrumental practice on flexible tuned brass and fretted string instruments at the beginning level. It has generated two doctoral theses so far and the doctoral students have been integrated in different research teams. I have been a member of the group that developed the Aglaya Play software, a modular software suite for collaborative music composition in educational settings.
Also, I am a member of the advisory board of Palgrave-MacMillan (Music & Literature collection) which is responsible for disseminating academic works that relate music and literature. I am editor-in-chief of the LEEME Electronic Journal (WoS, SJR), where I try to publish articles whose results have a significant return to society.

Luz Moreno, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Licenciada en Música-piano con mención honorífica por la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México y egresada de la Facultad de Psicología de la UNAM. Profesora de Música en Educación Preescolar, Primaria y Secundaria. Representante del proyecto “La voz de nuestros abuelos” con el apoyo del Programa de Acciones Culturales Multilingües y Comunitarias en la emisión 2020 en la Ciudad de México. Actualmente se desempeña como pianista intérprete y profesora independiente de piano.

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Published

2023-12-27

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How to Cite

Álamos Gómez, J., Tejada, J., & Moreno, L. (2023). Cognitive connections between body movement and rhythmic training in Primary Education.: A study with music teachers in Chile. Revista Interuniversitaria De Formación Del Profesorado. Continuación De La Antigua Revista De Escuelas Normales, 98(37.3). https://doi.org/10.47553/rifop.v98i37.3.100661

Issue

Vol. 98 No. 37.3 (2023): Formación del Profesorado en Didáctica de la Expresión Musical

Section

Monográfico

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