String music educators' use of adaptive teaching strategies for students with disabilities

Abstract

This descriptive research study was designed to collect strategies used by string music educators when they teach students with disabilities. The study was guided by four research questions. They were: (1) What type of training (if any) are string teachers given in preparation of working with students that have disabilities? (2) What strategies are effective for facilitating music learning to students with disabilities? (3a) What strategies are effective when teaching instrument posture/position, right-hand and left-hand skills to students with disabilities? (3b) Are these strategies newly developed, existing approaches, or adaptations of existing strategies? (4) How are instructional strategies modified when teaching students with disabilities? A questionnaire was distributed to 153 string music educators in a Midwest state, 45 questionnaires were returned giving the study a response rate of 29%. Descriptive statistics and informal analysis of free-responses were used to analyze the data. This study reinforced the use of the following four strategies: color coding, peer assistance, rote learning, and the use of a routine when working with students that have disabilities. Regarding string specific strategies, the use of tools (such as touch points or pinky houses), shifting earlier in the curriculum, and adjusting the weight of the bow and instrument were all noted as being helpful for the students with disabilities.