**1. Introduction**

Policies of educational institutions, their vision of the future, and what type of students they want to raise are important (one-dimensional academics or multifaceted academics who are artistic and knowledgeable about physical development, etc.). Through the active music education approach and methods, it will be possible for individuals, who will develop to be versatile, to discover themselves and their learning styles.

An example of this system in the world is the elementary music and movement education in Finland in which students gain experience by talking, singing, accompanying to the rhythm of words, exploring, playing games with and without rules (sound games, etc.), and dancing. The work of adapting the elementary music and movement education, the essence of which is learning through experience, in Turkey continues. Since there is still only a single type of music teacher trained in Turkey, the desired results have not yet been obtained. Programs that train music teachers have a general quality [1–4]. No expert music teachers are trained for primary schools, secondary schools, high schools, fine arts high schools, and universities. Only music teachers, with general knowledge in music education who

are partially specialized in their fields (experts who partly play instruments such as piano, recorder, baglama, guitar, and sing), are usually trained. The active music education experiences of these teachers are limited to *special teaching methods* and *games, dance, and music* lessons (among the courses added during restructuring by the Council Higher Education in 1996).

Firstly, since the academics, who know approaches and methods of active music education, who will apply *special teaching methods* and *games, dance, and music lessons*, are not trained in music education departments, there is also no willing and qualified instructors who will give music education and teach courses in *basic, pre-school, special education,* and *physical education departments* of universities. In the music, education departments only train a single type of teacher. According to the study data of Duru and Köse [2], in Turkey, one type of music teacher is educated for general music education; in Austria (University of Graz), two types of music teachers are trained for general music education and instrument training; and in Finland, two types of music teachers are trained for general music education and preschool music education (the University of Lahti and Lahti Polytechnic). In Denmark (The Royal Danish Academy of Music and the University of Copenhagen), two types of music teachers are trained for music schools and general music education, and in the USA (Texas University of Technology), four types of music teachers are educated for the basic fields of group music, choir, orchestra, and piano.

One of the best and most successful examples of this system in the world is the elementary music and movement education in Finland in which students gain experience by talking, singing, accompanying the rhythm of words, exploring, playing games with and without rules (sound games, etc.), and dancing. The work of adapting the elementary music and movement education, the essence of which is learning through experience, in Turkey continues. These studies were initiated under the leadership of E. Zuckmayer in what is now called Gazi University the Department of Fine Arts, Department of Music Education, and continued until the 1970s. Muzaffer Arkan has made efforts to promote Orff-Schulwerk or elementary music and movement education in what is now called Hacettepe University State Conservatory. Since there is still only a single type of music teacher trained in Turkey, the desired results have not yet been obtained. Programs that train music teachers have a general quality [2]. With this "music education program," that has a generic quality, training people who will both be expert music teachers in their fields and can provide basic music education and who will also have conservatory level knowledge is no different from expecting a frog to turn into a prince, as in the fairytale. Is it possible, through graduate education, to train academics and fine arts high school teachers, who reflect upon and address the basic problems of music education in Turkey, with only a handful of eager and qualified graduates? Not quite. The most important thing at this point is to increase the quality of music teacher candidates during their undergraduate education. These academics and teacher candidates are required first to achieve the minimum score in foreign language test (50 points) and academic personnel and postgraduate education entrance test (50 points). For graduates of other departments (engineering, pharmacy and science, and social sciences), the minimum passing score may not constitute a problem. However, it is not easy for candidates who have been educated and graduated in the field of fine arts to achieve this minimum passing score. Candidates are required to receive special training and courses to train themselves in their area of specialization.

In 1996, changes were made to the level of undergraduate and graduate music education under the name of restructuring by CoHE. Lessons were rearranged and in the music education program, especially the courses related to the field were

**225**

*Is Experiential Learning Possible with Active Music Education?*

continues to educate teachers with their characteristics [5].

expert educators and discover their learning patterns.

more important than thinking about the subject [12, 13].

**The aim of the study:** This study has been conducted to understand how the students involved in the study internalized, or learned, their experiences of elementary music and movement education. For these reasons, in this study, an active music education approach and methods that will enable the individuals

tried to be standardized. However, when the music programs of other countries are examined, it is seen that the same departments in different universities do not follow the same curricula. Expecting the same departments in different universities in Turkey to follow the same curricula is not a very accurate approach in terms of the conditions of the educational environment. For example, when the music departments of Selçuk University and Gazi University are compared firstly, sociological, cultural, and economic differences according to their locations, the physical conditions of the departments, the levels of the students entering the departments, the number of instructors and their interests draw attention. Although the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) attempted to establish a standard teacher profile under the concept of restructuring in 1996, even in the current program, each department

It is important that individuals, who have graduated from music education programs focused on raising the standard, a single type of music teacher, especially those who will give basic music education at universities, conduct their masters and doctoral studies on active music education approaches and methods. This will ensure a music education with consideration for the needs of the classroom and pre-school teaching. However, music department students at the undergraduate level do not have the chance to experience the practices and methods of active music education apart from *special teaching methods* and *games, dance, and music* lessons (among the courses established as part of a restructuring

To enhance these experiences, students firstly need organization of classroom environment, accurate determination of instrument needs, a workshop class with Orff instruments, receive specialized training, which will enable them to experience the active music education approach (as Orff-Schulwerk, elementary music and movement education) and its methods (as Kodály, Suzuki, Dalkroze et al.), from

At this point, the policies of educational institutions, their vision of the future,

and what type of students they want to raise are important (one-dimensional academics or multi-faceted academics who are artistic and knowledgeable about physical development, etc.). Because through the active music education approach and methods, it will be possible for individuals, who will develop to be versatile, to discover themselves and their learning styles. For this purpose, the use of the experiential learning style test developed by D. Kolb (1984) will also be valuable. In studies conducted in both music departments and other academic units, the tests developed by [6] for the determination of the learning style of individuals (Kolb 2.0 and 3.0) were used in the studies of [7–11], however, it has not been examined whether the individual explored the experiential learning style or not through active music education approach and methods. Unlike writers who draw attention to the genetic and biological characteristics of the learning styles, Kolb views learning styles as permanent and durable states formed by the interaction of people and the environment. Individuals prefer different learning styles or use a few at once. According to this theory, four learning stages emerge as concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. For example, in learning through concrete experiences, it is emphasized that it is considered important to understand the current experience and solve problems rather than understanding theories or generalizations. At this stage, feeling the situation is

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93754*

by CoHE in 1996).

#### *Is Experiential Learning Possible with Active Music Education? DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93754*

*Education at the Intersection of Globalization and Technology*

the Council Higher Education in 1996).

are partially specialized in their fields (experts who partly play instruments such as piano, recorder, baglama, guitar, and sing), are usually trained. The active music education experiences of these teachers are limited to *special teaching methods* and *games, dance, and music* lessons (among the courses added during restructuring by

Firstly, since the academics, who know approaches and methods of active music

Copenhagen), two types of music teachers are trained for music schools and general music education, and in the USA (Texas University of Technology), four types of music teachers are educated for the basic fields of group music, choir, orchestra,

One of the best and most successful examples of this system in the world is the elementary music and movement education in Finland in which students gain experience by talking, singing, accompanying the rhythm of words, exploring, playing games with and without rules (sound games, etc.), and dancing. The work of adapting the elementary music and movement education, the essence of which is learning through experience, in Turkey continues. These studies were initiated under the leadership of E. Zuckmayer in what is now called Gazi University the Department of Fine Arts, Department of Music Education, and continued until the 1970s. Muzaffer Arkan has made efforts to promote Orff-Schulwerk or elementary music and movement education in what is now called Hacettepe University State Conservatory. Since there is still only a single type of music teacher trained in Turkey, the desired results have not yet been obtained. Programs that train music teachers have a general quality [2]. With this "music education program," that has a generic quality, training people who will both be expert music teachers in their fields and can provide basic music education and who will also have conservatory level knowledge is no different from expecting a frog to turn into a prince, as in the fairytale. Is it possible, through graduate education, to train academics and fine arts high school teachers, who reflect upon and address the basic problems of music education in Turkey, with only a handful of eager and qualified graduates? Not quite. The most important thing at this point is to increase the quality of music teacher candidates during their undergraduate education. These academics and teacher candidates are required first to achieve the minimum score in foreign language test (50 points) and academic personnel and postgraduate education entrance test (50 points). For graduates of other departments (engineering, pharmacy and science, and social sciences), the minimum passing score may not constitute a problem. However, it is not easy for candidates who have been educated and graduated in the field of fine arts to achieve this minimum passing score. Candidates are required to receive special training and courses to train themselves in their area of

In 1996, changes were made to the level of undergraduate and graduate music education under the name of restructuring by CoHE. Lessons were rearranged and in the music education program, especially the courses related to the field were

education, who will apply *special teaching methods* and *games, dance, and music lessons*, are not trained in music education departments, there is also no willing and qualified instructors who will give music education and teach courses in *basic, pre-school, special education,* and *physical education departments* of universities. In the music, education departments only train a single type of teacher. According to the study data of Duru and Köse [2], in Turkey, one type of music teacher is educated for general music education; in Austria (University of Graz), two types of music teachers are trained for general music education and instrument training; and in Finland, two types of music teachers are trained for general music education and preschool music education (the University of Lahti and Lahti Polytechnic). In Denmark (The Royal Danish Academy of Music and the University of

**224**

specialization.

and piano.

tried to be standardized. However, when the music programs of other countries are examined, it is seen that the same departments in different universities do not follow the same curricula. Expecting the same departments in different universities in Turkey to follow the same curricula is not a very accurate approach in terms of the conditions of the educational environment. For example, when the music departments of Selçuk University and Gazi University are compared firstly, sociological, cultural, and economic differences according to their locations, the physical conditions of the departments, the levels of the students entering the departments, the number of instructors and their interests draw attention. Although the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) attempted to establish a standard teacher profile under the concept of restructuring in 1996, even in the current program, each department continues to educate teachers with their characteristics [5].

It is important that individuals, who have graduated from music education programs focused on raising the standard, a single type of music teacher, especially those who will give basic music education at universities, conduct their masters and doctoral studies on active music education approaches and methods. This will ensure a music education with consideration for the needs of the classroom and pre-school teaching. However, music department students at the undergraduate level do not have the chance to experience the practices and methods of active music education apart from *special teaching methods* and *games, dance, and music* lessons (among the courses established as part of a restructuring by CoHE in 1996).

To enhance these experiences, students firstly need organization of classroom environment, accurate determination of instrument needs, a workshop class with Orff instruments, receive specialized training, which will enable them to experience the active music education approach (as Orff-Schulwerk, elementary music and movement education) and its methods (as Kodály, Suzuki, Dalkroze et al.), from expert educators and discover their learning patterns.

At this point, the policies of educational institutions, their vision of the future, and what type of students they want to raise are important (one-dimensional academics or multi-faceted academics who are artistic and knowledgeable about physical development, etc.). Because through the active music education approach and methods, it will be possible for individuals, who will develop to be versatile, to discover themselves and their learning styles. For this purpose, the use of the experiential learning style test developed by D. Kolb (1984) will also be valuable. In studies conducted in both music departments and other academic units, the tests developed by [6] for the determination of the learning style of individuals (Kolb 2.0 and 3.0) were used in the studies of [7–11], however, it has not been examined whether the individual explored the experiential learning style or not through active music education approach and methods. Unlike writers who draw attention to the genetic and biological characteristics of the learning styles, Kolb views learning styles as permanent and durable states formed by the interaction of people and the environment. Individuals prefer different learning styles or use a few at once. According to this theory, four learning stages emerge as concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. For example, in learning through concrete experiences, it is emphasized that it is considered important to understand the current experience and solve problems rather than understanding theories or generalizations. At this stage, feeling the situation is more important than thinking about the subject [12, 13].

**The aim of the study:** This study has been conducted to understand how the students involved in the study internalized, or learned, their experiences of elementary music and movement education. For these reasons, in this study, an active music education approach and methods that will enable the individuals

participating in the study to discover their learning styles were applied in basic sciences and music education. Besides music educators who will give basic music education, it is also important for students who will take this course to explore learning styles with an active music education approach and methods. This is because, in this study, the experience is created with both the educator and the student. In this study using elementary music and movement education, at the core of which there is experiencing and discovery learning, answers to the following questions were sought: What are the behaviors that individuals adopt through elementary music and movement training? Are individuals willing to learn by experience? Is the environment (class size, class order, etc.) appropriate for experiential learning? What kind of an impact their primary, secondary, and high school experiences have on music education and teaching? What is their perception regarding music education and teaching?
