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Digital Commons (Liberty University) · May 2024

Parent Perspectives for Elementary Instrumental Music Participation

Scott Wayne McGowan

School of Music, Liberty University

PhenomenologyThematic analysis Education

How they used Delve

A doctoral candidate in Liberty University's School of Music used Delve to code semi-structured interviews with eleven parents, parent-teachers, and a parent-administrator in one school district about a tuition-based, outside-the-school-day elementary instrumental music program, for a hermeneutic phenomenological study. Multiple spiral rounds of coding in Delve produced a codebook and the themes.

“Interview analysis for text coding was performed using the Delve Tool. Multiple rounds of coding were conducted in a spiral manner to ensure consistency and accuracy. [...] The Delve Tool was accessed to create a qualitative codebook.”

Field
music education
Data
Semi-structured interviews with 11 participants in one school district (7 parents, 3 parent/teachers, 1 parent/administrator), plus the researcher's observations and reflections
Approach
Hermeneutic phenomenology; multiple spiral rounds of coding, a qualitative codebook, then themes refined by deleting, merging, relabelling and expanding codes
Data types
Interviews, Observation

Abstract

This hermeneutic phenomenological study was conducted to understand participation issues surrounding elementary instrumental music programs from a parent’s perspective. Many school districts’ elementary instrumental music programs have continued with a district-funded model with classes that meet during the school day. The school district in this study adopted an outside-the-school-day model that is tuition-based. The study utilized semi-structured interviews and observations from the researcher. A quality music education program should include the highest possible number of students. This study uncovers the motivating factors in elementary instrumental music participation. It also reveals potential barriers to entry. Music educators can use the results of this study to build participation numbers while removing barriers to entry and allowing equal access to quality music education.

Citation

Scott Wayne McGowan (2024). Parent Perspectives for Elementary Instrumental Music Participation. Digital Commons (Liberty University).

Resources

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