A proposed model of a piano education program and its prospect in application

This research assessed the state of current teaching methodology for teaching piano in the Department of Fine Arts (Education) specializing in Music Teacher Training. From this assessment, an eight-semester piano teaching curriculum including all the elements of a comprehensive teaching program was prepared. The program was applied to the first semester of freshman piano students in Abant Izzet Baysal University, Faculty of Education, Fine Arts Education Department, Music Teacher School. The success of the program?s outcomes was assessed in relation to the goals of piano education. We gave structured interviews to 26 piano teachers from different institutions with a variety of experience to survey the state of current piano teaching methodology. Literature focusing on new teaching techniques was found and these techniques were used on 40 first year students in their first semester. After the pre-research interviews, we discovered that most teachers were not implementing any structured teaching program or methodology. Those following a program failed to include the teaching elements in their program?s curriculum. This revealed that they had been using a descriptive program. The same teachers were asked their opinions of the goals and objectives in the model program?s curriculum and subsequently a teaching program was prepared. First year students were observed at the beginning, middle and end of the first semester of their program. We gave a cognitive test to the students including the goals of piano teaching twice: once before and once after the observation period. The results of the assessments of three competent observes illustrated that the piano teaching model prepared for the research was extremely effective in meeting the objectives of piano education.