Instructional model based on MIDI (piano) laboratory for the Harmony-Accompaniment I course in Music Education Departments

This research aims to design a practice-oriented instructional model for the Harmony-Accompaniment I course within the music education departments and to facilitate the collective, hands-on execution of these courses using MIDI (piano) laboratories and music technologies. Additionally, the study seeks to assess the students' achievement levels following the implementation of the designed instructional model and to determine the opinions of students who participated in the Harmony-Accompaniment I course regarding this model. A mixed-method approach, combining both qualitative and experimental designs, was employed in the study. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interview forms were administered to the instructors teaching the Harmony-Accompaniment I course to ascertain the current situation, and a content analysis was conducted based on the collected data. Based on the results of the content analysis and the researcher's literature review, the "MIDI (Piano) Laboratory-Based Harmony Instructional Model" was designed. In the subsequent qualitative phase, Grounded Theory analysis was applied to the data gathered from a survey conducted at the end of the implementation process to collect students' opinions. In the experimental phase of the research, a single-group pretest-posttest design was used. The study group consisted of 21 students (12 male and 9 female) enrolled in the second year of the Music Education Department at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University during the 2022-2023 academic year. The developed instructional model was applied to this study group over a period of 12 weeks. The pretest and posttest assessment of students' achievement levels in both theoretical and practical aspects of the Harmony-Accompaniment I course were carried out using a performance rating scale and an achievement test developed by the researcher based on expert opinions. The performance rating scale was implemented by three expert observers. The results of the research indicated that the developed instructional model successfully achieved its objectives and demonstrated high effectiveness for students.