Experienced Teachers Use of Time in Choral Rehearsals of Beginning and Advanced Choirs

The purpose of this study was to investigate instructional pace by observing choral rehearsals of experienced teachers, describing teacher and student behaviors, and comparing usage of time to multiple descriptions of pacing drawn from the literature. Five teachers were selected based on professional and educational qualifications. Subjects were videotaped in two rehearsals, one regular rehearsal of their beginning choir and advanced choir. Teacher and student behaviors were observed and recorded in seconds for analysis. Categories of behaviors were developed using existing categories from previous studies as models. Six of the 10 rehearsals used a rehearsal structure that varied familiar with new music, easy with difficult and changed pace frequently (Cox, 1989, Structure C). After behaviors were recorded and analyzed, the beginning choirs showed a mean of 4.5 rehearsal segments (major activity shifts), advanced choirs showed a mean of 3.8 rehearsal segments, and all 10 recorded at least 3 rehearsal segments. The shortest rehearsal segment was 4.6% of the total rehearsal time, and the longest was 49.7%. All observed rehearsals contained examples of faster and slower pacing. Consistent with previous studies, teacher instruction and student performance were the highest recorded behaviors. Mean durations of teacher instruction were 17 and 16 seconds (beginning and advanced) and 26 and 31 seconds of student performance (beginning and advanced). The lowest rate per minute (change of activity) for any rehearsal segment was .75 and the highest rate per minute was 7.7. The mean rate per minute for beginning choirs was 2.94 (teacher) and 3.04 (student). For advanced choirs the mean rate per minute was 3.53 (teacher) and 2.74 (student). Three teachers were more approving than disapproving and ratios of student response to teacher feedback varied widely from 2:1 to 6:1. These results indicate pacing is a complex part of effective teaching and good teachers with classroom experience use fast and slow pacing in rehearsals, suggesting that slow may play an important role in pace within the full rehearsal. Pacing a choral rehearsal is an essential part of a music teacher's repertoire of effective teaching strategies, thus more study is needed. of teacher instruction were 17 and 16 seconds (beginning and advanced) and 26 and 31 seconds of student performance (beginning and advanced). The lowest rate per minute (change of activity) for any rehearsal segment was .75 and the highest rate per minute was 7.7. The mean rate per minute for beginning choirs was 2.94 (teacher) and 3.04 (student). For advanced choirs the mean rate per minute was 3.53 (teacher) and 2.74 (student). Three teachers were more approving than disapproving and ratios of student response to teacher feedback varied widely from 2:1 to 6:1. These results indicate pacing is a complex part of effective teaching and good teachers with classroom experience use fast and slow pacing in rehearsals, suggesting that slow may play an important role in pace within the full rehearsal. Pacing a choral rehearsal is an essential part of a music teacher's repertoire of effective teaching strategies, thus more study is needed.