The Pilot Study: Implications for the Main Study

In order to gain a deep understanding of the efficacy of feedback and feed- forward in pianoforte studies, it was necessary to employ research methods which would assist in identifying different types of feedback and feed-forward, whether they were ego-involving or task-involving (Butler, 1988) (see section 2.1.1), and whether students‘ levels of self-efficacy, motivation, and self- regulation were influenced by the feedback they received. Therefore, within the case study design, piano lessons were observed and video recorded. This process was deemed to be more effective than taking field notes during the ob- servations, due to potential difficulties involved in documenting all of the rele- vant data (Mulhall, 2002). Video recordings also enabled lessons to be revisit- ed, so that the content could be verified and clarified. In addition, sections of the video recordings were also employed in student interviews for purposes of stimulated recall (Haw and Hadfield, 2011).

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with students, both before and af- ter their weekly lessons, to discuss how the feedback and feed-forward they received from their teachers, and any other sources, were employed during

their practice sessions. The teachers were also interviewed after lessons to as- certain their views about the feedback and feed-forward they provided, and how the students responded (see Table 3.2 for an outline of the study). In addi- tion, the students were encouraged to keep diaries, to document the content and focus of their piano practice, thus illustrating whether the feedback and feed-forward received in lessons had been employed.

F

RAMEWORK FOR THE

P

ILOT

S

TUDY Context Pilot Case Study 1 Pilot Case Study 2

Participants Boy Aged 12-13 (Steven) Boy Aged 13-14 (Tim)

Students Known to the

Researcher Yes Yes

Students Taught by the

Researcher in School Yes Yes

Location of Lessons School: LEA Music Service Teacher‘s House

Teacher Female (Mrs Freeman) Female (Miss Marston)

Qualifications B.Ed., Associate of the Guild-

hall School of Music (AGSM)

B.A. (Hons.) Music Perfor- mance

Teacher known to Re-

searcher Yes Yes

Type of Lesson Individual one-to-one Individual one-to-one

Length of Lesson 15 to 20 Minutes 30 Minutes

Timing Data Gathered Data Gathered

Four Successive Weeks

 Four Student Pre-Lesson

Interviews

 Four Lesson Observations

 Four Student Post-Lesson

Interviews

 Four Teacher Post-Lesson

Interviews

 Four Student Diaries

 Four Student Pre-Lesson

Interviews

 Four Lesson Observations

 Four Student Post-Lesson

Interviews

 Four Teacher Post-Lesson

Interviews

Table 3.2

Following decisions relating to the design frame, the choice of research meth- ods and the construction of the initial research instruments, it was necessary to conduct a pilot study, firstly as a means of verifying the appropriateness of the research design, and secondly to identify any potential weaknesses in the re- search instruments. With regard to organising the pilot study, it has been rec- ommended that it should be conducted ‗in a situation as close as possible to that of the actual research‘, preferably involving participants who can ‗play an

active role in suggesting improvements to research instruments‘ (Glesne, 2006, cited in Ashley, 2012, p.37). These points were duly observed, and the teach- ers and students involved in the pilot study were actively encouraged to share their views about the content and structure of the research instruments, and to provide feedback relating to the logistics of the inquiry and the general organi- sation of the research (Yin, 2009).

The pilot study was conducted between February and March, 2011, for a peri- od of four weeks, involving two boys, one aged 12-13 and the other, 13-14 years. Initially it was hoped to include a girl in the pilot study to provide a gender balance, but it proved difficult to recruit a girl at this time: one girl was asked to take part, but on reflection, she declined. The two teachers involved were both female; one was employed by a local authority music service, and lessons took place during the school day, and the other was a private piano teacher, and the lessons were conducted at her house during the evening. This provided two contrasting scenarios (see Table 3.2), which are representative of instrumental lessons within this geographical location.

When designing the pilot study, the initial plan was to record piano lessons us- ing a digital video camera, to interview teachers after the lessons had taken place, and to interview the students both before and after their lessons, using semi-structured interview schedules. While these research methods proved ef- fective during the pilot study, it became apparent that a number of issues need- ed to be addressed, including the timing of interviews before and after the les- sons, and the location of those interviews.

On occasions in the pilot study, post lesson interviews with teachers were missed as subsequent students arrived for their lessons, and in the case of the

teacher who worked for the local authority music service, she had to leave school straight after the lessons to ensure that she arrived at her next school on time. This meant that interviews with teachers had to be conducted later by tel- ephone, and as they were required to recall the content of the lesson, at times this proved to be problematic. Consequently, in the main study, it was neces- sary to ensure that teachers‘ post-lesson interviews took place face-to-face at an appropriate time, so that the lesson content and the feedback or feed- forward presented to students had not been forgotten. In consequence all of the teachers involved in the main study planned their timetables to allow for inter- views to be conducted immediately after their lessons.

With regard to student interviews, however, following the pilot study, for mat- ters of time and convenience, it was agreed in the main study that the students who had private lessons and attended the school where I teach, would have their pre-lesson and post-lesson interviews in the school at 8.15am on the mornings before and after their piano lessons. This allowed up to 25 minutes for these interviews to take place before morning registration. In the case of the boy who did not attend this school (case study 1), his interviews took place in private at the teacher‘s house immediately prior to his lesson, and immedi- ately after the lesson.

During the pilot study, students were asked to keep diaries, documenting what they actually did during their practice sessions, and it was intended that the content of these diaries would be referred to in their interviews, for purposes of stimulated recall (Haw and Hadfield, 2011). One of the students in the pilot study, however, did not keep a diary (see Pilot Case Study 2 in Table 3.2), and indeed, this proved to be an issue for the main study.

In addition to asking students to keep diaries, in the pilot study it became ap- parent that one of the teachers made notes during lessons, which recorded feedback and feed-forward for the student to reflect upon in his practice ses- sions. Consequently, teachers and students were asked to provide copies of these notes in the main study, although it needs to be acknowledged that one of the teachers did not make notes during lessons.

Another issue became apparent while observing lessons during the pilot study, which involved access to scores of the music the students were studying. When teachers engaged the students in discussion relating to errors they had made on specific lines, or bars, within particular pieces of music, especially where feed-forward was being provided about how to make improvements, it proved difficult to make sense of the discussions as I did not have access to the score. Consequently, in the main study, scores were made available for pur- poses of observation, and they were also used in interviews to focus discussion and to promote recall.

Issues pertaining to reactivity (Hammersley, 2007a) became apparent in the pi- lot study: while the intention was not to engage teachers in professional devel- opment, at the end of the pilot study one of the teachers indicated that she had learnt a great deal about teaching from the content of the interview questions, indicating that ‗the focus on feedback has led to me asking all of my pupils ―What are you practising for next week?‖‘. This indicated that the actual re- search process had had an impact upon the topic that it was intended to inves- tigate. Consequently, it needed to be acknowledged that while the focus of the research could have this effect upon the participants, albeit inadvertently, there was little that could be done to alleviate the situation, other than being less ex-

plicit about the focus of the research, although providing a more general ac- count of the purpose and focus of the research may be questioned on ethical grounds. It was important, therefore, at the start of the main study to re- emphasise that the participants should attempt, as far as possible, not to make any changes to their normal routines.

It has been observed that participants‘ apprehensions could be alleviated through the process of pre-project observations, so that they are fully aware of what will be required, but as this teacher was engaged in the pilot study and the main study, this matter needed to be acknowledged. The other teachers in- volved in the main study indicated that they were confident that the focus of the research would not have any influence.

Following the pilot study, while the position of the video camera was not al- ways ideally placed in some teaching rooms owing to the location of the piano, the protocol for conducting observations was established. In addition to the timing of interviews, the main issue that needed to be addressed related to questions on the interview schedules. With regard to interviews with students before lessons, a large number of the questions on the schedule were closed in nature, thus generating positive or negative responses only, for example ‗In your practice, did you refer to your teacher‘s requests or advice?‘. So in order to develop these questions, where positive responses were made, it was neces- sary to ask students to provide examples, and if the responses were negative, for them to explain their response. Also, it became apparent that some of the questions proved challenging for the students as they had to think about their responses. This issue was addressed by using a semi-structured interview schedule, as it enabled me to explain the questions, and clarify issues that may

have been unclear. Also, from the teachers‘ perspective, while the questions on their schedule were generally clear, one of the teachers indicated that not all of the questions were relevant each week. In consequence, in the main study, the teachers were asked to indicate if questions lacked relevance.

In document The efficacy of feedback in pianoforte studies (Page 128-134)