Does Gender Matter? An Experimental Study of Gender Differences in Music Learning

• In Event: Understanding factors and processes of educational inclusion and exclusion: Gender, geographic location and immigration

Abstract

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Numerous researches and scientific instruments have proved that boys and girls learn differently because their brains develop differently. (Feingold, 1994). The women’s corpus callosum, which links the left and right hemispheres of the brain, is relatively bigger in women than in men. Moreover, the boys’ left side of the cortex grows slower than girls’. This is why most of girls tend to have better language and communication skills than boys and find it is easier to work collaboratively.
This study aims to exam whether the gender differences would cause any difference in music learning achievements for the 4st grade boys and girls in the music classroom at the elementary schools in Taiwan. The purpose of this research is to find out if there are any major learning differences and challenges between two genders in music learning at elementary school students so that the music teachers can be aware of the potential problems and have further solutions.

MAIN THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK UTILIZED
The Gordon Music Learning Theory is one of the well-known theoretical models of music learning. The theory is developed by Edwin Gordon and designed how students learn music and how music should be taught. By building knowledge of aural skills through singing, rhythmic movement, and tonal and rhythm pattern instruction, notation and music theory are introduced to students. Not only does it provide a fair music assessment system, but it also offers clear guideline to teachers what music items should be involved and introduced to students.

METHODOLOGY
The primary data came from a sample of 300 prospective 4th grade students (N = 300) with the age of 9-10 who registered at the 4th years of 6 local public elementary schools in Taiwan in the year of 2013. All of the students were equally given pre-test and post-test in order to get the most fair and average results. The study was controlled in the sense that the six experimental classes were ascertained to be of equal ability in their understanding of music before the experimental factor was applied. The Gordon’s “Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation” (IMMA), the internationally recognized leading instruments to measure students’ music audiation and achievement, was used as the measurement tool of music learning achievement to the 300 participants. The IMMA test consists of Tonal and Rhythm tests with 40 questions in each part.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
Results indicate that both genders were equally interested in participating any music activities held in the experiment. However, the results revealed that girls demonstrated better concentration during the class and better comprehensibility than boys on rhythmic patterns clapping and dictation.
According to both pre-test and post-test, majority of girls showed better scores than boys. However, the results can not 100% indicated that the participated girls’ “music ability” were better than boys’. The results of the tests might imply the personal interests toward the subject between two genders. In the experiment, girls also performed more accurate on playing rhythms on the provided small percussion during the experiment while the boys were more interested in playing and exploring the percussion instruments with their own ways. In the aspect of music reading and singing, girls not only demonstrated better understanding on both exercises but girls can also sing more accurate pitches than boys.
The results of the questionnaire reflected that lacking of using the international well-known music methods may cause the music class less motivated and inspired toward students. The results was also surprisingly shown that there were 46% teachers believed that the boys and girls can have better progress and perform equally well if the music teachers change their music methods and approaches in the class.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY TO THE FIELD OF COMPARATIVE OR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
The researcher suggests that in order to have efficient music teaching and learning, music teachers need to be alert the differences of learning ability on both genders, particularly, many boys usually have difficulty to sing in correct pitches, and have challenges to comprehend different combination of rhythmic patterns. As well, music teachers should find solutions to help young boys comprehend different combination of rhythmic patterns so that boys can learn music efficiently.
Furthermore, more music activities and body movements can be included in music class so that children can learn music concepts, such as, rhythms, dynamics and tempos in the most nature and interesting way. At last, the music teachers should be careful the progression of teaching contents and keep track the progressions of each individual in the class.

Author

• Dennis Wang, University of Macau