Teachers' Verbal Corrections and Observers' Perceptions of Teaching and Learning

• Published in: Journal of research in music education Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 75 - 87
• Main Authors: Duke, Robert A., Henninger, Jacqueline C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA MENC: The National Association for Music Education 01.04.2002; SAGE Publications; MENC - The National Association for Music Education; National Association for Music Education
• Subjects: Education; Educational Research; Feedback; Learning; Learning Processes; Lesson Observation Criteria; Methods; Music; Music Education; Music students; Music teachers; Musical performance; Musicians; Negative feedback; Observational research; Perceptions; Positive feedback; Positive Reinforcement; Preservice Teachers; Reinforcement; Research Methodology; Student Behavior; Study and teaching; Teacher attitudes; Teacher Response; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Teaching Styles; Verbal Communication; Verbalization; United States; United States > US; Texas
• ISSN: 0022-4294; 1945-0095
• DOI: 10.2307/3345694

We tested whether observers' perceptions of private lessons are affected by the type of verbalizations used by teachers to make corrections in student performance. We compared verbal corrections that were expressed as directive statements (i.e., specific directions to change some aspect of performance in a subsequent trial) and verbal corrections expressed as negative feedback statements (i.e., negative evaluations of student performance in a preceding performance trial). Participants viewed two videotaped private lessons. In one lesson, all corrections of student performance errors were expressed as directions to change some aspect of performance in the subsequent trial. In the other lesson, all corrections were expressed as negative feedback statements followed by a direction to play again. Subjects responded using a paper-and-pencil questionnaire with 10 statements about the teacher and student in each lesson. There were no meaningful differences in subjects' responses between the two lessons, both of which were rated highly positively. Asked to cite differences observed between the two lessons, few subjects identified any aspect of the teacher's feedback.