Abstract
This research project investigates the validity and reliability of the Orff and Soundpainting methods in developing musical creativity in composition and improvisation. A quasi-experimental study was applied to examine the musical development of 6-12-year-old children in a Southwest Public Primary School in Guangzhou, China. The study centered on the following research questions: 1) Can Orff and Soundpainting methods be implemented in Chinese primary music education? 2) Can mixed teaching methods support Chinese teachers in C/I activities in large classes? 3) Can the application of Orff and Soundpainting methods develop primary school students' musical creativity?
A total of 486 grade 1-grade 6 student participants were divided into two groups, with 243 in the experimental group and 243 in the control group. A quasi-experimental teaching method was applied by two school music teachers and a researcher. Orff and Soundpainting methods were used for the study group, while current Chinese pedagogy was applied in the control group. Orff and Soundpainting methods were used for the study group, while current Chinese pedagogy was applied in the control group. Five data collection methods were utilised: non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews with teachers, questionnaires with student participants, educational documentation related to Chinese educational policy， and MCTM-II test for student participants. The CIPP evaluation model (Context, Input, Process, and Product) method was employed to analyse the data, which provides guidance for setting up an evaluation of an intervention. While Csikszentmihalyi’s model of creativity, reveals the perspectives of authorities, schools, and individuals on primary music education and school-based music activities. Additionally, the programme applied Orff and Soundpainting methods within a Chinese context to make pedagogy more understandable and provide a straightforward structure for primary music educators to effectively teach composition and improvisation with creativity.
The results illustrate that (i) Orff and Soundpainting methods can be used to implement localised teaching in accordance with the Chinese educational context and conjunction with Chinese music textbooks; (ii) blending the two methods can be used to effectively and practically support teachers in implementing composition and improvisation activities during large class instruction, and (iii) the application of Orff and Soundpainting methods are more effective for the development of primary school students' musical creativity in composition and improvisation as compared to Chinese teaching methods.