Harmony is a fundamental topic that pervades much of tertiary-level aural training. Many activities in aural harmony that are described in the literature, however, represent idiosyncratic prescriptions of set exercises (e.g., harmonic dictation). No researcher has previously attempted to systematically compare a broad range of pedagogical approaches in aural harmony. Furthermore, despite the critical role of performance in music education, there is little understanding of how and why students engage in performance and other actions during aural harmony activities. The primary aim of this dissertation is to investigate the multitude of pedagogical approaches within the subject of aural harmony. This is achieved through the discovery, classification, and evaluation of pedagogical approaches as revealed through class observations and discussions with teachers at ten tertiary institutions in four countries (Japan, the US, Sweden, and Norway). Through an extensive examination of this data, I identify 89 aural harmony activities (Chapter 2). My analysis of these activities results in the creation of a classification system (Chapter 3). There are four categories in this classification system. Each category represents a type of action sequence, which in turn represents one action leading to another action. The four categories thus indicate fundamentally different learning outcomes. I classify each of the 89 collected activities under one or more categories, which enables me to systematically compare the pedagogical approaches within each of the four categories of activities (Chapters 4-6). The secondary aim of this dissertation is to report my experiences of applying the insight and knowledge gained from the above analyses to my own teaching within an Australian tertiary music institution (Chapter 7). Following an explanation of my particular educational context, I describe the process of devising, developing, and implementing five activities. Of these activities, one uniquely enables students to simulate performance actions through gestures. I evaluate these activities based on student feedback as well as my self-reflection. This research has resulted in detailed descriptions of a considerable range of aural harmony activities (Appendix A). My analyses of these activities reveal a range of pedagogical approaches that can maximise our students' acquisition of aural skills. I argue that while student performance is valuable in much of aural training, there are alternative means of engaging students that can also result in favourable learning experiences. This dissertation concludes with a consideration of the applicability of two of the activities presented in Chapter 7, as well as the classification system proposed in Chapter 3, across other areas of aural skills pedagogy
