Music education

The chapter explores the historical development of music education in Scottish secondary schools and summarises current and future trends in pedagogy and assessment. The chapter offers a critical overview of current provision for the non-specialist and identifies contemporary debates around musical genre, technology and instrumental teaching provision

Musical styles as communities of practice : challenges for learning, teaching and assessment of music in higher education

The last three decades have been marked by significant expansion of music education within higher education, the outcomes of which can be seen in the increased numbers of students studying music and in the diversity of activity and purpose within music courses. This article interrogates the relationship between stylistic diversity and music provision, specifically in relation to teaching and assessment, and considers music styles as examples of 'communities of practice' into which students may be inducted through formal and informal means

Some features of children's composing in a computer-based environment : the influence of age, task familiarity and formal instrumental music tuition

760 children aged 8 to 12 composed 1,696 short melodies using a computer- based software application. As well as providing an appropriate composing environment, the software maintained a detail event-driven log of all user interactions. Session logs were used as the basis of a detailed behavioural analysis of children's composing processes, exploring the influence of three variables (age, task familiarity and formal instrumental music tuition) on composing processes. Results suggested that older children tended to engage in less exploratory composing behaviour in comparison to younger participants, such as listening to their emerging melodies or trying out different notes. Participants receiving formal instrumental music tuition were far less likely to use the exploratory functions of the software in comparison to their non-expert peers. Older children worked faster than younger children, and were more efficient in their use of the software functions. Increased familiarity with the software was accompanied by greater speed in interaction, regardless of instrumental expertise. Implications for music composition pedagogy and future research in musical creativity are discussed

Student musicians' self- and task-theories of musical performance : the influence of primary genre affiliation

165 undergraduate music students studying in Scotland completed a 30-statement Q-sort to describe their self and task-theories of musical performance. Statements reflected the importance of effort, confidence, technical ability, significant others and luck/ chance in determining a successful performance. The Q-sorts were reduced to six underlying sorting patterns, or viewpoints. The relationship between sorting patterns and participants' primary genre affiliation was explored in order to identify whether self and task-theories were a function of genre affiliation. Some intuitive hypotheses of what performers of particular musical genres might think were supported by the data. However, results suggested that there was considerable diversity in self and task-theory of performance within each of the genre affiliation groups, which supports previous research. Other background factors, such as gender, years of playing, chronological age and type of institution, were not significant predictors of self or task-theory of musical performance

Teachers' personal construct models of pupil individuality and their influence in the music classroom

This paper reports on an investigation into the belief patterns of music teachers with regard to the nature and significance of factors of individual difference and in the context of secondary school classroom music teaching. Belief patterns were collected in the form of Personal Construct models, drawing on Kelly's Theory of Personal Constructs. The study explored both music teachers' Personal Construct models of pupil individuality and the reported significance of those models of pupil individuality for the participants' teaching approaches. The investigation of Personal Construct models concentrated on how each participant grouped the pupils they teach according to perceptions of individual difference. The belief patterns of participants were also compared. The study involved eight secondary school music teachers working in the west of Scotland. Participants' construct models were elicited using Repertory Grid technique, where pupils were the grid elements, and factors of individual difference, the constructs. The influence of models of individual difference on classroom practice was then investigated using semi-structured interviews. Three main findings from the study are discussed. First, there was considerable variation among participants in the choice of factors of individual difference believed to be significant for teaching in music, and therefore in their Personal Construct models. Second, there were notable similarities in how participants appeared to group sets of pupils within those models, even though the models themselves varied widely. Finally, Personal Construct models and specific belief patterns relating to individual differences appear to be important influences on the structure and nature of teaching in music

Dose-response between frequency of breaks in sedentary time and glucose control in type 2 diabetes: a proof of concept study

Objectives This study aimed to investigate dose-response between frequency of breaks in sedentary time and glucose control.DesignRandomised three-treatment, two-period balanced incomplete block trial.MethodsTwelve adults with type 2 diabetes (age, 60 ± 11 years; body mass index, 30.2 ± 4.7 kg/m2) participated in two of the following treatment conditions: sitting for 7 h interrupted by 3 min light-intensity walking breaks every (1) 60 min (Condition 1), (2) 30 min (Condition 2), and (3) 15 min (Condition 3). Postprandial glucose incremental area under the curves (iAUCs) and 21-h glucose total area under the curve (AUC) were measured using continuous glucose monitoring. Standardised meals were provided. Results Compared with Condition 1 (6.7 ± 0.8 mmol L−1 × 3.5 h−1), post-breakfast glucose iAUC was reduced for Condition 3 (3.5 ± 0.9 mmol L−1 × 3.5 h−1, p ˂ 0.04). Post-lunch glucose iAUC was lower in Condition 3 (1.3 ± 0.9 mmol L−1 × 3.5 h−1, p ˂ 0.03) and Condition 2 (2.1 ± 0.7 mmol L−1 × 3.5 h−1, p ˂ 0.05) relative to Condition 1 (4.6 ± 0.8 mmol L−1 × 3.5 h−1). Condition 3 (1.0 ± 0.7 mmol L−1 × 3.5 h−1, p = 0.02) and Condition 2 (1.6 ± 0.6 mmol L−1 × 3.5 h−1, p ˂ 0.04) attenuated post-dinner glucose iAUC compared with Condition 1 (4.0 ± 0.7 mmol L−1 × 3.5 h−1). Cumulative 10.5-h postprandial glucose iAUC was lower in Condition 3 than Condition 1 (p = 0.02). Condition 3 reduced 21-h glucose AUC compared with Condition 1 (p < 0.001) and Condition 2 (p = 0.002). However, post-breakfast glucose iAUC, cumulative 10.5-h postprandial glucose iAUC and 21-h glucose AUC were not different between Condition 2 and Condition 1 (p ˃ 0.05).Conclusions There could be dose-response between frequency of breaks in sedentary time and glucose. Interrupting sedentary time every 15 min could produce better glucose control

Soil natural capital quantification by the stock adequacy method

AbstractA method is presented for assessing soil natural capital based on the principles of land evaluation. Policymakers are adopting concepts of flows of ecosystem services, and the natural capital stocks that support them, to provide more integrated analyses of the trade-offs between environmental, economic, social and cultural outcomes from land use. Soil is frequently overlooked in these analyses. Techniques are needed to quantify and map soil natural capital and their potential to provide ecosystem services to enable the soil science community to more effectively engage with decision-makers. To support this engagement, these techniques need to use available soil survey maps and databases to provide extensive geographic coverage of soil natural capital estimates. The method presented estimates the adequacy of soil natural capital stocks to support the soil processes behind the provision of ecosystem services under a specific land use. A stock adequacy index estimates the degree to which the provision of services is limited by soil natural capital stocks or advantaged by a stock surplus under a given land use. Reference values are derived from a curve of the response of the provision of the service to key soil stocks for a specified land use. These curves are determined from land evaluation and soil quality literature, or by modelling. The method is essentially an extension of land evaluation in which the evaluations are calibrated using an ecosystem approach. The output indices provide information about potential ecosystem services provision, land-use suitability, soil resource use efficiency, and environmental performance. Outputs from the method are demonstrated for a range of soils under pastoral dairy land use in Wairarapa, New Zealand

Artificial weathering of some soil clays

An artificial weathering experiment was set up to test for reversibility within the system. 2:1 – 2:2 Al-intergrade vermiculture montmorillonite. Strongly chelating (0.20M and 0.02M citrate) and weakly chelating (0.02M acetate) solutions buffered at pH 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5, were leached for varying periods of time up to 6 monhts, through B2 horizon. Craigieburn silt loam. X-Ray diffraction of the leached soil clay fraction showed that the period of leaching was too short to cause a clay transformation from the initial 2:1 – 2:2 Al-intergrade into a 2:1 layer silicate. However, X-Ray and electron microscopy studies showed removal of some surface coatings and interlayer hydroxy Al. Analyses leachates showed that the citrate (chelating) buffers were more effective at removing Al and Fe from the solid phases than acetate (non-chelating) buffers. Quantities removed and rates of solution of Al and Fe increase with decreasing pH. Rapid initial loss of Al and Fe probably involved disordered gels and surface coatings. Increasing the citrate concentration above a certain limit did not increase the ability of the solution to remove Al and Fe. Leaching with 1.5M AlCl3 solution at pH’s 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 caused rapid fixation of Al in the A2 horizon of the Katrine silt loam. A vermiculite-montmorillonite intergrade was rapidly transformed into a 2:1 – 2:2 Al-intergrade, suggesting that an increase in pH leading to build up in Al species in the soil would result in montmorillonite being transformed into 2:1 – 2:2 Al-intergrade. It was concluded that leaching for longer periods, using a lower concentration of chelating solution, that would more closely simulate the natural system should be attempted. Developments of the method are suggested

The relationship between sedentary bout duration and glucose in adults with type 2 diabetes

Physical activity is important for blood glucose management in people with Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Little research has explored the relationship between sedentary behaviour and mean glucose and glucose variability in people with T2D using objective and continuous measurements. Aims: To explore the relationship between sedentary bout duration and mean glucose and glucose variability in people with T2D using objective continuous measurement. Methods: 16 participants with T2D managed with diet, Metformin or DPP4 inhibitors were recruited (mean age 64.1±10.9 yr & BMI 29.4±6.9 kg/m2). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and wore an activPAL accelerometer and FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitor for 3-14 days whilst documenting sleep, food and medication. Average proportion of time spent sitting/lying, during the waking day were calculated. Bouts of wake time sedentary behaviour were identified and defined as a period of at least 30 minutes continuous, uninterrupted sitting/lying during the waking day. Correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the relationships between sedentary bout duration and mean glucose, glucose range and glucose coefficient of variation. Results: On average, participants spent 65% of their day sitting/lying, 76% of sedentary bouts were ≥30minutes and 29% of bouts were ≥60minutes. Mean glucose was negatively (r = -0.08, p <0.01) associated with sedentary bout duration. Glucose range (r =0.47, p <0.001) and glucose coefficient of variation (r = 0.26, p <0.001) both positively correlated with sedentary bout duration. Participant characteristics such as age, gender and BMI appear to influence the relationship between sedentary bout duration and glucose response. Conclusions: Results indicate increased sedentary time leads to improved mean glucose and increased glucose variability