METHODOLOGY
This chapter provides an overview of the research design and methodology employed to answer the previously mentioned research question: “What creative activities can be integrated into a beginner clarinet curriculum to cultivate a sense of ownership among students aged 9-11?”
The first section outlines the methods selected in relation to the research's aims. Therefore, the chapter details the specifics of the study and the rationale behind choosing them. The latter also presents the partnership with the Stichting Cultuurhuis Garenspinnerij - De Kunstmachine in Gouda (NL) as host institution for the visiting educational researcher. Subsequently, it discusses the role of the researcher and the critical friend, concluding with ethical considerations.
Research Method
Given the study’s main objectives, the most suitable research method emerges as a combination of design, action research, and multiple case studies, which classify the study as Design-Based Research.
Design-Based and Action Research
Design-based research (DBR) is a flexible and interactive approach for designing, implementing, and evaluating educational interventions in real-world settings (Barab, 2006, p. 151). This approach is particularly valuable because, as stated by The Design-Based Research Collective (2003), it “responds to emergent features of the setting” (p. 6), enabling researchers to collaborate with participants such as students and teachers. By incorporating participants' responses and feedback across multiple cycles, DBR ensures the continuous refinement of educational tools, curricula, and teaching methods (Barab, 2006, p. 166; Collins, 1992, p. 5; The Design-Based Research Collective, 2003, p. 6).
DBR also has characteristics of action research, a research method that employs data collection instruments such as interviews, surveys, and role negotiations to gather, analyze, and implement solutions to problems in educational practice. It also has a cyclical nature focused on improving practice through reflective inquiry. (Tomal, 2010, pp. 10-11). This cyclical process of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting is central to both action research and DBR. Therefore, the two approaches together form an iterative framework that ensures the creative activities are well-designed, tested, and refined to promote student ownership and support curriculum goals.
Multiple Case Studies
In his book Case Study Research: Design and Methods, Robert K. Yin (2003) defines a case study as an empirical investigation that examines a “contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context” (p.13). He suggests that “multiple-case study designs may be preferred over single-case designs” (p. 53) when feasible, as they facilitate more data collection and provide a stronger validation of the phenomena being studied.
Building on these claims, I have chosen to test my activities in two case studies using a multiple-case study format to support my theory development and ensure a robust investigation. Case selection criteria:
- Homogeneity of participant characteristics: All students were the same age and had the same beginner level of clarinet ability. This ensured that any observed differences in outcomes could be attributed to the instructional methods rather than variations in age or skill level.
- Instructor continuity: The same instructor(s) led and observed both groups to control teaching style and instructional approach.
- Curriculum context: Activities were tested within the same educational program, ensuring their relevance to real-world curriculum objectives.
Context
Subjects
The two case studies involved three alternate clarinet teaching sessions for three groups of up to six beginner students aged 9 –10. As a researcher, my motivation for conducting these case studies with beginner students stems from a desire to let them creatively practice fundamental skills taught during the initial years of clarinet training—such as long notes, staccato techniques, sound properties, and note fingering—while fostering a deeper connection with their instruments and their self-image as musicians and artists.
Enviroment
The teaching sessions were conducted at the Stichting Cultuurhuis Garenspinnerij - De Kunstmachine, as part of the Orkest in de Klas project.
- Cultuurhuis Garenspinnerij stands as Gouda's premier cultural meeting place, where local communities are housed within the historic confines of a former yarn factory. This venue offers diverse inter-disciplinary activities designed to engange and enrich individuals of all ages and interests.
- Launched in 2011, Orkest in de Klas (Orchestra in the Classroom) is an educational project that introduces children to the experience of learning to play a musical instrument while making music together in a group setting. It provides resources such as lesson plans, sheet music, audio-video materials, and assistance to set up learning orchestras. The program enjoys the support of HM Queen Máxima and has since grown to include over 1,300 users in the Netherlands and Belgium.
At the core of this project is the concept of a learning orchestra, where children collectively learn a chosen instrument among harp, clarinet, cello, violin and others, coming together to perform as an orchestra under the guidance of music teachers and conductors. Rosanne Rippen, the program's coordinator in Gouda, stated that the primary objective is to allow children to experience the joy of playing an instrument and creating music together. She referred to the experience as "magical", with children often feeling positively overwhelmed when listening to the music they make as a group. The program also prioritizes inclusivity, providing opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to explore their musical abilities and cultivate a passion for music.
I have chosen this program for several reasons: its focus on introducing orchestral instruments to Dutch primary schools, providing an ideal setting to work with beginner instrumental students. Its semester-based structure allows for multiple case study cycles; and the opportunity to test and perform the planned activities within the framework of an existing school-based instrumental program, ensuring alignment with the theoretical and practical competencies covered in the classroom.
Teachers & Supervisors
These case studies were made possible by the collaborative work of three institutional figures, namely: Noor van de Wetering, coordinator of the Music Departement; Rosanne Rippen, conductor and coordinator of Orkest in de Klas; and Ettore Cauvin, clarinet teacher and curriculum supervisor. Further, this collaboration stems from the need of integrating an innovative outlook on educational projects for instrumental learning and teaching.
Creative Activities Design
The three creative activities designed for this study were based on the theoretical concepts explored above. Building on the understanding of ownership and the statement by Chan et al. (2014) that “students gain more from a lesson when the information is structured in a manner that helps them make connections between previous learning, the current lesson, and future learning,” the activities were designed to be concept-driven in relation to the orchestral repertoire and to encourage student agency, participation, and collaborative learning.
Moreover, the activities were grounded in Hickey and Webster’s (2001) concept of “thinking in sound.” By engaging students in a creative thinking process, primarily through composition, they were encouraged to imagine, experiment with sound, and create pieces that reflected their personal identities and musical preferences. Lastly, the activities incorporated multiple sensory elements, integrating movement, auditory, visual, and verbal components to accommodate diverse learning styles.
Intervention
Instruments & Data Collection
The materials that I used in this research include a variety of instruments and tools designed to facilitate data collection and analysis. This section details each of these materials to ensure the replicability and transparency of the two case studies.
1) Observation Form: The clarinet teacher and I acted as observers during both one regular class session and the three creative activity lessons. The regular class observation served as a baseline to understand students' behaviors before testing the three creative activities. From this baseline, student profiles were created to track their development. Qualitative data were collected through observing the following criteria to measure ownership:
- Engagement: Observations focus on students’ willingness to participate, focus, responsiveness to instructions, enthusiasm, and peer interactions.
- Autonomy: This section captures how students respond to choices within activities, their ability to make independent decisions, and their reasoning behind these choices.
- Collaboration and Leadership: Indicators here assess students’ willingness to work in groups, their interactions with peers, and any feedback they provide to each other.
- Self-Assessment: Observations here focus on students’ desire to seek additional resources and reflect on their learning.
- Pride: This part will observe student's body language and words in order to garther moments of student's proudness.
- Self-Image and Expression: This final section looks for signs of personal investment, such as students referring to ideas as “my idea” or showing proudness and a personal connection to the task.
Observers classified each behavior using a rubric scale (e.g., “Not Observed,” “Sometimes,” “Often,” “Always”), allowing for consistent and comparable data collection across observations. Observers also provided qualitative comments for contextual understanding and students' behavioral development.
2) Focus Group Interviews (Students): After each session, I conducted and recorded post-session interviews with the group/students, consisting of open-ended questions based on theoretical framework. These interviews explored participants' experiences, including moments of engagement, favorite and/or challenging aspects of the activities, and suggestions for future sessions. By focusing on the students' perspectives, the interviews aimed to provide insights into their sense of ownership, motivations, and interests in the creative process.
Lastly, after each case study was completed, also a final group interview was conducted to explore the shared experience in more depth.
3) Interviews (teachers): At the end of each case study, individual interviews with the teachers from the project Orkest in de Klas were conducted to gather feedback on how the activities could have been improved. Audio recordings were made to ensure a reliable and thorough analysis of the discussions.
Data Analysis
To analyze the collected data, I employed cross-case synthesis. While there were various strategies for analyzing case study data, cross-case synthesis has been highlighted to be advantageous for comparing results across different cases (Teegavarapu & Summers, 2007, p.6).
According to Yin (2018), the cross-case synthesis method treats each case study as a separate study, and the findings are then synthesized to draw more robust conclusions. After understanding each case's context by identifying key themes and outcomes specific to each case, the next step is a systematic search for cross-case patterns. This often requires using tables to compare data across cases based on key variables, which for this study are student engagement, self-directed practice, and their motivation in learning the instrument. (Yin, 2018, p. 212, p. 214). Once patterns and trends are identified, they are analyzed to determine how they align with the theoretical framework of the research, explore whether the cases show predicted similar or contrasting outcomes, and examine the reasons behind these results.
Supplementary comparative analysis
In addition to the case studies involving students aged 9-10, a supplementary comparative analysis was conducted with students aged 10-11. Those analyses were intended to provide a developmental context regarding ownership behaviors and curriculum integration. While this comparative group did not participate in the formal case studies process, observations and general trends were noted to inform the research findings.
Role Of The Researcher
My role as researcher during the two case studies involved observing alongside the regular clarinet teacher from the Orkest in de Klas project. In line with Tomal's (2010, pp. 38-40) recommendations, this approach ensures objectivity and provides credible evaluations of all observations made during the case studies.
Role Of The Critical Friend
Clarinet teacher, Ettore Cauvin, who observed and led alongside me in both case studies assumed the role of a critical friend. As defined by Mat Noor and Shafee (2020) and Berry and Russell (2014), a critical friend is a trusted individual invited to participate in the research to provide critique, clarify ideas, and test concepts by examining the data through an alternative lens.
- Ettore Cauvin is an eclectic clarinettist, researcher, and educator based in the Netherlands. Awarded Best Graduate Musician by NTR, he performed at the 2023 New Year Concert on NPO Klassiek. He has performed across Europe under renowned conductors and teaches at several Dutch institutions. His research interests are inter-cultural performance and identity, and eco-musical practices. Passionate about interactive and interdisciplinary learning, he explores instrumental teaching and educational research across all school levels.
Selected for his expertise and experience in both artistic research and clarinet teaching, the teacher provided post-session debriefings and structured feedback. The latter helped to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities and ensured their alignment with the Orkest In de Klas curriculum.
Ethical considerations
Building on Tomal's (2010) position that researchers should 'always be concerned with protecting their subjects and avoiding legal problems' (p.33), I aimed to follow the ethical standards outlined by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Netherlands Code of Conduct for research integrity to ensure adherence to legal norms and procedures.
Since I was conducting research with children under the age of 16, I obtained informed consent from the parents or guardians, specifying the objectives, procedures, potential risks, and benefits of the study. Additionally, I asked for assent from the children themselves, explaining in simple and age-appropriate terms what their participation involved, which they could refuse at any time.
Lastly, I informed the participants and their guardians that the voice recordings conducted for the interviews were kept private and used exclusively for research purposes. I ensured confidentiality and protected their data by using codes or pseudonyms and securely storing the information.