Ιn GSME 2018 we introduced a novel music teaching approach, designed by coupling auditory and tactile modalities in the music classroom, involving embodied pedagogical activities for teaching elementary rhythmic skills in primary school. The training covered a wide range of musical activities by designing a play-based set of 16 sessions. Children were introduced in music via different actions: aural activities, dance movements, body music, singing, story-telling. The main goal was to enhance beat perception and beat synchronization. However, music sessions included activities for improving the understanding of different aspects, such as tempo, metrical structure and contour. In order to evaluate the possible impact of the tactile music experience, we constructed a mixed method study, combining elements of quantitative and qualitative research. Here, we present preliminary findings from the qualitative research part, which was conducted in order to get deeper in the effectiveness of the teaching approach, by generating data indicated by the children, regarding them as the best evidence there can be about themselves (Instone 2002). Considering the difficulties of qualitative research design, different factors had to be considered, such as how data should be obtained, recorded, handled, analyzed and reported (Kutrovatz, 2017; Jamshed 2014). The interview was formulated using age-appropriate techniques, allowing children to reflect their individual experiences and impressions (Punch, 2002). In 8 semi-structured interviews, children were asked to describe how they experienced the music class and what aspects were more important to them. Focusing was first on how children made sense of the pedagogical practice and which impact the intervention may had on music making. Interview data were analyzed with thematic analysis techniques. The coding process provided both research-derived and data-derived codes. Children enjoyed learning experience and working on various musical activities. All students mentioned to feel relaxation and coziness. Music games and playing with musical instruments were students' most favorable tasks. Team activities appeared to improve children's physical and emotional engagement and their social interactions. Generally children maintained a positive outlook on test experience. All children preferred the sensorimotor tasks, since they were able to do something. Children described the perceptual task of the cBATT, in which they were required to activate only their mental capabilities, as more absent and difficult. Many children were referred to various cooperative activities which were created by them, emphasizing that the tactile surfaces allowed them to work in couples in a great way. Children from the experimental group depicted only positive experiences with the tactile stimulation. Listening to and at the same time 'feeling' the music was for them really interesting and enjoyable. Music class was identified as one of the most favored classes, since, as children mentioned, they were not obligated to learn passively, but they could experiment with different materials and sounds, work together or alone, express theirselves and elaborate their personal ideas. The impact of the intervention on how children experienced the music class submitted encouraging results. The suggested teaching approach thus appears to be a plausible and motivating way to present elementary rhythmic skills to primary school children.

• Νέες μουσικές-τεχνολογικές εμπειρίες
• Πολυτροπικές δράσεις στη μουσική εκπαίδευση


Martha Papadogianni-Kouranti graduated from the Department of Music Studies, NKUA and has an M.Sc. Degree from the Institute for Speech and Communication-Audiocommunication Group, Technical University of Berlin. In 2009, she was employed as a music teacher at the secondary state education. Currently she works as a music teacher in primary state schools in Athens. At the same time, since 2016, she is a doctoral student in a Cotuttele Program, co-supervised by NKUA and TU Dresden. Her research interests fall in the area of acoustics, auditory-tactile music perception, music cognition and new technologies in music education.

Christina Anagnostopoulou is an associate professor at the Department of Music Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, as well as the leader of the Music Cognition, Computation and Community Lab. 

Angeliki Triantafyllaki holds a PhD in Music Education from the University of Cambridge. Since 2010, she collaborates with the Music Education Lab of the Department of Music Studies, NKUA, on teaching and research projects. She is Associate Professor of Music Education (appointment pending) at the School of Social Sciences, University of Ioannina.