Enriching musical understanding through kodály-inspired drawing activities: An action research study

Abstract

The purpose of this action research study was to delineate the potential pedagogical integration of drawing activities with Kodály approaches in general music instruction. Nine participants voluntarily engaged in this study. They learned three children’s folk songs within the Kodály framework (i.e., preparation, presentation, practice, and assessment). Drawing activities were added before and after the Kodály instruction to check how the participants’ musical understandings have changed. The results highlighted the utilization of graphical codes and metaphors, the influence of non-English lyrics on personal imagination, the role of class discussions in cooperative learning, alternative visualization as non-standardized stick notations, and playful moments as musical memory aids. These findings hold implications for teaching practices in the context of elementary music classrooms, emphasizing the importance of student-centered learning and the use of drawings and class discussions as a means of assessing students’ musical understanding throughout the learning process.