The effects of active learning on academic achievement, attitudes, self-efficacy beliefs and attributions toward music theory course

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of Active Learning on preservice music teacher?s academic achievement, attitudes, self-efficacy beliefs and attributions toward Music Theory course. The research was designed based on an experimental pretest-posttest model. The research was conducted with 26 students from Dokuz Eylül University Music Education Department during 2006-2007 academic years. There were two groups which were randomly assigned. Active Learning was used in the experimental group and traditional instruction method was used in the control group. The data were collected by using Music Theory Test, Attitude Scale Toward Music Theory Course, Self-Efficacy Scale Toward Music Theory Course, Attributions Scale Toward Music Theory Course and Attributions Scale. At end of the study it was found that Active Learning made significant difference on the attitudes, self-efficacy beliefs and success attributions toward Music Theory course than the traditional instruction methods. But Active Learning did not make significant difference on academic achievement, failure attitudes toward Music Theory course and attributions toward most successful and most failure course.