Analysis of parent-child interactions in home practice sessions of elementary-aged piano students

• Main Author: Kovács-Mazza, Jolán.
• Other Authors: Wapnick, Joel (advisor)
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 2001
• Subjects: Piano > Studies and exercises.; Mother and child.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=36975

Nineteen mothers of elementary-aged (5--12 years old) piano students were videotaped once a week supervising their children's piano practice at home for three consecutive weeks. Children were assigned a new piece to work on one week prior to the commencement of the study. A 12-minute segment from the 57 practice sessions (19 parent-child pairs, across 3 practice sessions) was viewed three times by the investigator and by two expert piano pedagogues: one time to record parent behaviors, a second time to record child behaviors, and a third time to note the parent and child's practice approach and to rate the effectiveness of the practice sessions. Three piano pedagogues also rated the quality of each child's uninterrupted performance. Mothers recorded in a practice log the amount of time they spent assisting their children. At the conclusion of the treatment period, the investigator interviewed mothers and children individually. === The main results of the study were as follows: (1) mothers were more likely not to show any observable behavior during their children's practice session than they were to show any specific behavior; (2) the majority of time in practice sessions was spent playing the instrument without any verbal or physical interruption; (3) children frequently practiced without any specific structure in their practice procedure, nor with any specific directives from their mothers; (4) mothers with little or no musical training practiced more efficiently with their children than did mothers who had a moderate to high level of musical training; (5) the children of mothers who had little or no musical training received higher performance ratings than the children of mothers who had a moderate to high level of musical training; (6) high performance quality ratings were associated with high ratings for practice effectiveness; (7) longer practice times resulted in higher performance quality ratings; (8) longer practice times were associated with more efficient practice sessions; and (9) 85% of children said that they enjoyed practicing with their mothers.