Using Students’ Interests in General Music (Part 1): Getting to Know Learners and Conducting Research

In U.S. music education, the elementary music program is the level most likely to include all students, before music becomes an elective choice in secondary schools. As students approach adolescence, however, their interest in general music may decline, particularly if they are not engaged in activities they find meaningful. Although past research suggests activities that upper elementary students may prefer, much U.S. research was completed over two decades ago. In this research-to-practice series, we demonstrate how teachers can structure activities for upper elementary (grades 3–5) students based on students’ preferences. In this first article, we briefly review previous scholarship related to elementary students’ music class interests as well as work that supports the idea of building relationships with students. Then, we present ideas to help teachers get to know learners’ preferences using different types of survey materials. Suggestions for understanding and conducting research are also provided for teachers interested in engaging in action research in their settings.