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Bellflower Symposium (1968). Orff Schulwerk: Design for creativity: A report of the project “Creativity and participation in music education”. EASA Title 3 Report. (Source type: ERIC)
| Author(s): | Bellflower Symposium, |
| Title: | Orff Schulwerk: Design for creativity: A report of the project “Creativity and participation in music education” |
| Source Type: | ERIC |
| Source Name: | EASA Title 3 Report |
| Year: | ERIC |
| Year: | 1968 |
| Catalog No.: | ED 053 153 |
| Country Code: | USA |
| Language: | English |
| Orff Topic Category: | Effect of OS on Music Knowledge/Skills |
| Secondary Orff Topic Category: | Creativity/Improvisation |
| Research Methodology I: | Qualitative & quantitative |
| Research Methodology II: | Mixed Methods |
| Participants: | Classes in the Bellflower School District in California |
| Groups: | Grades 1-2, Secondary School, Orff instruction and non-Orff instruction |
| Purpose: | Pilot testing for effects of Orff Schulwerk in the curriculum |
| Independent Variables: | Types of instruction: Orff Schulwerk vs. non-Orff |
| Dependent Variables: | Creativity, behavior, attitude, reading achievement |
| Data Type: | Test score, teacher observation rating |
| Analysis: | Descriptive statistics of pre-test post-test scores, summary of teacher ratings |
| Abstract: | The project director, Martha Maybury Wampler, who spent 30 months 1963-65 studying Orff Schulwerk in Salzburg, with project specialist Frau Gertrud Orff of the Gunther School, Munich, Germany, pilot tested the effect of incorporating Orff Schulwerk on school children of the Bellflower District in California. Beginning March of 1966, ten first-and-second grade classes in five schools (N=325) were given Orff instruction twice a week in 40-minute sessions by three staff members. The project expanded to include 23 classes in citywide secondary schools September 1966 through July 1967. Various data were collected before, during, and after the Orff instruction to children both taught and not taught with the Orff Approach. Variables include the Children's Individual Test of Creativity (CITOC-by Metfessel, Burns, and Foster); teachers' semester ratings, Behavior checklist, attitude test, and reading achievement. Additional information includes principal's observation as well as observations by special delegates visiting the schools. Three main themes were addressed: piloting Orff Schulwerk in schools, curriculum development, assessment of children outcome. |
| Results/Conclusions: | Results were reported to be mainly positive. Students given Orff Schulwerk lessons were observed to be able to move freely and expressively, understand the relationship of space and time, and complete improvisation tasks. Teachers' rating indicates that there was improvement in seven out of nine categories of behavior. Music instruction seemed to increase learning in writing, drawing, and creativity. Results were different for different grades but the longer the treatment made a larger difference. |
| Implications for music education (continued research): | Orff Schulwerk in the school setting can provide positive impact on children's academic achievement, music learning, as well as behavior and attitude. It is important to keep good record to document such effects. |
| Keywords: | Orff curriculum, Creativity, Orff Schulwerk vs. traditional music teaching, attitude |
| Additional Information: | This study employed both quantitative and qualitative measures. It represents an important early attempt to implement Orff Schulwerk in the school curriculum in the United States, and to document its effect on creativity, academic learning outcomes, and student behavior and attitudes. Due to the large number of schools and children in the study, the data were affected by irregularities such as drop-outs and uneven class sizes, etc., as expected in field studies. |