DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY INTEGRATION MUSIC INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER ORDER MUSICAL THINKING SKILLS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Higher Order Thinking Skills refer to a complex thought process that relies on Lower Order Thinking Skills: remembering, understanding, and applying. These Lower Order Thinking Skills are essential for developing Higher Order Thinking Skills, which include analyzing, evaluating, and creating. Such skills are crucial for individuals today who navigate a wealth of information from the Internet and various online social media platforms that spread information rapidly. This rapid dissemination makes it increasingly difficult to predict contemporary societal trends, which are characterized by high uncertainty and constant change. Consequently, there has been a growing body of research aimed at cultivating Higher Order Thinking Skills among youth, particularly high school students. It is undeniable that these skills are often associated with education in science and mathematics. Furthermore, it is evident that music is interconnected with knowledge across various disciplines, including the humanities and social sciences. This connection suggests that utilizing music content and skills as a central theme through processes of analysis, evaluation, and creation is particularly suitable for enhancing higher-order thinking skills among students. Therefore, this research aims to develop an integrated music learning model to promote higher-order musical thinking skills for high school students. The objectives of this research are as follows: 1) to study the integrated music teaching behaviors of high school music teachers; 2) to develop an interdisciplinary integrated music teaching model to promote Higher Order Thinking Skills among high school students; and 3) to evaluate the effectiveness of this model in enhancing Higher Order Thinking Skills.

Methods: The research methodology is a Research and Development, divided into four phases. Phase 1 involves examining the behaviors and conditions of integrated music learning among high school music teachers. This phase is divided into two steps: the first step entails quantitative research. It utilizes a behavioral measurement tool developed by the researcher to survey the current state of integrated music teaching practices among high school music teachers in Bangkok and its vicinity. The sample, obtained through simple random sampling, comprises 183 music teachers who responded to the behavioral measurement tool and were categorized into two groups based on their scores: 95 teachers exhibiting favorable behaviors and 88 teachers exhibiting less favorable behaviors. The second step involves qualitative research, entailing in-depth interviews with participants from the first step, using an interview guide designed by the researcher. Targeted samples of four teachers—two from the favorable behavior group and two from the less favorable group—were selected to identify key factors that support or hinder integrated music learning behaviors. Phase 2 focuses on developing an integrated music learning model to enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills among high school students. This involves document analysis and a review of research to create a learning model based on the findings of Phase 1. Phase 3 assesses the effectiveness of the developed learning model by applying it to an experimental group of 20 students from the fifth grade at Srinakharinwirot University Demonstration School (secondary) over 12 weeks in the second semester of 2023. This phase employs a One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design for the experimental research. Phase 4 aims to refine the integrated music learning model to ensure it effectively enhances Higher Order Musical Thinking Skills among high school students, culminating in a comprehensive version of the model.

Results: The research results indicate that 1) the examination of music teaching behaviors reveals that supporting factors for integrated teaching include teachers' experience, their appreciation of curriculum integration, and their ability to organize content autonomously. Conversely, hindering factors involve teachers' lack of awareness regarding the importance of integration, discomfort with the content, limited class periods, unprepared materials and resources, excessive student numbers per classroom, and inadequate prior knowledge among students. 2) The developed model consists of five instructional steps: Step 1: Integrating Knowledge, Step 2: Analyzing, Step 3: Evaluating, Step 4: Creating, and Step 5: Distributing. 3) Effectiveness studies show significant increases in students' higher-order thinking skills in musical analysis and creativity at the 0.01 significance level; however, evaluative thinking scores did not reach statistical significance. In summary, this study indicates that music content and skills, when related to other fields, can be effectively integrated into interdisciplinary curricula. Coupled with the teaching model developed in this research, it can enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills among high school students.

Conclusions: Phases 1 and 2 of this research demonstrated that interdisciplinary integration can be effectively applied to teaching music content and skills because of music’s close relationship with the humanities, social sciences and arts. Most music teachers recognize the value of integrating music with other disciplines. However, time constraints, resource limitations, or insufficient content expertise make interdisciplinary music education challenging. The five-step learning management model, developed in phases 3 and 4, is adaptable to the specific contexts of educational institutions. The model aims to foster higher-level thinking skills, such as analytical, evaluative, and creative musical thinking, through diverse teaching and learning processes that prioritize active learning over lecturing. Assessment should employ a variety of methods. Teachers should act as facilitators, enhancing their knowledge and skills to effectively implement interdisciplinary learning.