Does length of training period impact the effectiveness of reciprocal peer teaching in university group piano students?

Abstract

Reciprocal peer teaching (RPT) is an instructional strategy rooted in collaborative learning principles, wherein students take on the roles of both tutor and tutee. It has been examined in several music education contexts, including elementary, secondary, and university ensembles; however, group piano has yet to be examined. The purpose of this study was to determine what effects there were, if any, between the duration of training for RPT tutors and achievement on four piano performance skills: repertoire, sight-reading, harmonization, and transposition. Thirty-three non-piano music majors completed pretesting and engaged in 2 to 6 days of RPT training, followed by 8 weeks of RPT interactions in their group piano class, after which a posttest was administered. Results from four separate Kruskal Wallis H tests found significant differences between groups for all areas of assessment. Post hoc testing determined that the 4-day training group scored significantly higher on the repertoire, harmonization, and sight-reading tasks, and the 6-day training group scored significantly higher in sight-reading and transposition tasks; however, the limited sample size should caution broad interpretation. Further analysis determined that the results of all tests were correlated with one another, suggesting that as the facility in one assessed skill increases, so do others. Implications for RPT tutor training and group piano teachers are discussed.