Dissertation for Scientific Degree of the Doctor of Pedagogy (Dr.

paed)

Maruta Sle

Holistic aproach to child's development in piano training process

University of Latvia, Riga, 2000 General Characterization of the Dissertation The XXth century saw the holistic approach to personality's development as a fundamental pedagogical problem. Today, the holistic approach ideas are acquiring actual importance in all areas and spheres of human life and activities: intensive search is made for interrelating common components. Common vision of holism and its parts is also significant for the theory and practice of music pedagogy. The current situation at 160 music schools of Latvia shows that, according to piano teachers' views, the most important constituent of the piano training process is acquisition of specific piano playing skills and ways, rather than furtherance of child personality's holistic development, or emotional, intellectual or voluntary changes which promote this process, or its influence on child's heterochronous development. The executed research, as well as conclusions, based on 30 years of experience, enable determination of principal trends in the piano training process nowadays and disclosure of principal contradictions arising: 1. between the training contents and the personality's holistic development possibilities. The practice fails to draw attention to the fact how the specific pedagogic and music effects exert certain influence on internal properties of a child's personality, i.e. evolution of mind - feelings - will; 2. between development of creative faculties and the totality of pedagogic methods and ways used in the training process. This contradiction prevents a child as a subject from self-implementation in his/her creative activities; 3. between individual approach to child personality's holistic development as a support to training quality meeting specified music class levels, and the mass and quantitative nature of training as creative faculty development with no objective of acquiring further music education. More often than not, individual approach possibilities are reduced with variations in the scope of subjects to be mastered and with the rate of mastering; 4. between child's creative personality development as a whole and uniformity of training aids. Books and manuals used in practice are oriented to forming specific pianist skills, rather than to development of creative faculties and integration with other types of music activities. Training in music which is one of the most creative arts lacks the creative activity itself. The piano training practice lacks theoretical foundation of the Latvian national piano playing school. In view of the above, the present study has been aimed at a general overview and analysis of the Latvian piano school's historic evolution, with the objective of using the historic experience for the purposes of creating a holistic approach model for a child's development in the piano training process. Practice has left theory behind and revealed the necessity for investigating the means and

ways of making the piano training process supportive of child personality's holistic natural and social heterochronous development in the mind - feelings - will unity. In Latvia, this problem in association with piano mastering is treated for the first ever time. Object of research : Piano training process.

Subject of research : Holistic approach to a child's development in the piano training process. Goal of Research : To analyze the holistic approach to the Latvian piano school's historic evolution and, based on theoretical and empirical research, to create a holistic approach model for child's development in the piano training process. Research hypotheses : The holistic approach to child's development in the piano training process is implemented, if and when: a teacher is oriented towards the child's mind -feelings - will unity; child's natural and social heterochronous development regularities are supported; various types of musical activities as an entirety are forming a child personality's development as an entirety. Tasks of the Research: 1)to analyze relevant philosophic, pedagogic and psychological literature and studies in music pedagogy and psychology on the holistic theory essence; 2)to investigate the piano playing school's historic and cultural evolution in Latvia for the purposes of finding components of the holistic approach theory therein; 3) to make up a holistic approach model for a child's development in the piano training process; 3) to test the model and to prove its efficiency. Research methodological basis is made by: regularities of a personality's holistic development as covered in philosophic, pedagogic and psychological sciences, and the significance of music in cultivation of a harmonic personality. Research theoretical basis is made by: theories of music activities holism suggested by Carl Orff, Zoltan Koday, Emile JaquesDalcroze; theories of faculty development in music activities, developed by Boris Teplov, Valentin Petrushin, Arnold Gotsdiner; regularities defined by Heinrich Neihaus, Gennady Tsipin, Lev Barenboim and by Latvian scientists Tamara Bogdanova and Dainis Zari in acquisition of piano playing skills and ways; Boris Vinogradov's development training theory; personality development theory suggested by Arija Karpova and Mara Vidnere; regularities set forth by Lev Vigotsky for the unity of a child personality's natural and social development and interrelation of external and internal psychic processes; theories

suggested by Wilhelm Wundt, Carl Martinsen, Carl Svanvick, Carl Decken, Arnold Krauklis for personality's heterochronous development; Paul Dale's philosophic concept; notions provided by Auseklis, Atis Kronvalds, Aleksandrs Dauge in arts pedagogy for the significance of beauty in personality's development; Ausma pona's upbringing theory; Irina Maslo's conclusions on individualizations and differentiations; Irena ogla's research of cognition interests; Daina Lieeniece's holistic approach to the development of pre-school age children. Research Methods: 1) Theoretical methods: historic comparative method; historic logic method; historic structural method; pedagogic paradigmal method; analysis of philosophic, pedagogic, psychological and methodological literature, analysis of conclusions of other researches; content analysis; modeling; 2) Empirical methods: observations, self-estimation, questionnaires, discussions, interviews; 1) Pedagogic experimental activity. Research base: Baldone Music School, Skaistkalne House of Culture's Piano Studio, Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy, 18 music schools in Latvia. Experimental survey covered 112 pupils, students, teachers and parents. Research stages: Analyzing philosophic, pedagogic, psychological and historic literature on the holistic approach, its sources and development (1995-2000). Finding, summarizing and analyzing historic sources on piano playing school evolution history in Latvia (1995-2000). Making a catalogue of piano training materials (1995-1997). Writing and implementing a Piano Playing School's Historic Evolution Course of Lectures (1996-2000). Summarizing pedagogic work experience; writing Piano Playing ABC in collaboration with co-author Gunta Melbarde (19961997). Performing questionnaire survey of Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy Music Department students, with subsequent data analysis and summary (1999). From 1997 till now, developing, implementing and practical testing of a holistic approach model in a special piano training class, common piano training class and music teachers' estimation. Summarizing and analyzing of data acquired through questionnaire survey, interviews, self-analysis, discussions, and experimental work (19972000). Research Novelty and Theoretical Significance The holistic approach to the piano training process is evaluated theoretically; for the first time discovered and defined is the interrelation between the holistic approach to the piano training process and a child's natural and social heterochronous development as characterized by: unity of the natural and social development; development of individuality and uniqueness in activity; self-implementation in the process of imitation, improvisation and

interpretation. Based on the holistic approach regarded as an actual problem of the pedagogic science, evaluation of the Latvian piano playing school's historic evolution is made. The holistic approach to a child's holistic development in the piano training process is modeled and experimentally tested to determine its improvement conditions. Research Practical Significance A training aid titled Piano Playing ABC was prepared, published and tested. In Piano Playing ABC, the holistic approach is developed as used in practice in Latvia and Latvian communities in the USA. For the first ever time, the Latvian piano playing school's catalogue was made and systematized. The piano playing school's historic evolution findings and the holistic approach ideas are used by students at Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy, Latvian University's Pedagogic and Psychological Department, and Daugavpils Pedagogic University. Research Results Testing At scientific conferences in the Republic of Latvia, at international conferences, and in publications for the period of 1998 to 2000. Research results were delivered as summaries at: Five conferences held at Riga Pedagogic and Educational Management School, e.g. Teacher in the 21st Century in April 1999. The summary's topic was titled Compensation of Child's Heterechronous Development Features in Piano Playing Process. III and IV International Latvian Young Musicians Creative Camp - Master Courses in 1998 and in July 2000 (Latvian and World Music Entering the 21st Century). Two different summaries for the topic titled Piano Playing School's Historic Evolution in Latvia. Association of Teachers Training in Europe (ATTE) Changing Education in a Changing Society International Scientific Conferences held in Klaipeda (Lithuania) in 1999 and 2000. Topics of summaries titled Entirety's Approach in the Teaching Process of Piano Playing in 1999 and Theoretical Aspects of Piano Education Model in 2000. Vilnius Pedagogic University's and Wroclaw University's VI International Scientific Conference on Educational Change and Modern Teaching Methods held in September 1999; summary's topic titled Analysis and Synthesis of Traditional and Contemporary Methods in Latvian Piano Pedagogy. VII International Scientific Conference Science Studies - School held in October 2000; summary's topic titled Total Vision of Holism and Its Components in Theory and Practice of Music Pedagogy. Grodno State University's (Belarus) II International Scientific Conference TEHNO-99 held in April 1999; summary's topic titled The Sources of Latvian Piano Playing Development. Klaipeda University's II International Scientific Conference Music Around the Baltic Sea Past and Present held in April 1999; summary's topic titled Historical Analysis of Piano Playing Methods of Latvian Authors and Its Development Nowadays. II International Scientific Conference Person. Color. Nature. Music held in Daugavpils in

May 2000, summary's topic titled Music Activity Integration in Piano Training Process; and in October 2000, summary's topic titled Holistic Approach to Child's Development in Piano Training Process. Music Department: History. Experience. Development Scientific Conference held by Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy Music Department in January 2000; summary's topic titled Holistic Theory -Fundamental Problem of Pedagogic Science, Structure of the Dissertation: The present Doctorate Thesis is structured as follows: an Introduction, three Parts, a Conclusion, References, 17 Annexes. The text comprises 159 pages, References include 134 items, and 17 Annexes totally cover 32 pages. Part I: Holistic Approach - Fundamental Theory of Pedagogic Science. Holism and holistic approach in science are identified as a historic category. Origination and development regularities of the holistic approach, its similarities and differences are outlined; interrelations between holistic components are revealed. Part II: Holistic Approach to Child's Development in Piano Playing School' s Historic Experience in Latvia . Holistic components, their manifestations and contradictions are described. Historic evolution of the piano playing school is outlined, with interrelations shown between theoretical ideas and practical experience of particular historic periods; periodicity is specified to expose historic sequence and change of pedagogic paradigms; interrelations conforming to historic periods are stated between the components forming a successive piano training process of child's development, in terms of quantity and quality, form and contents, causes and effects. Part III: Interrelation Between Training Process and Personality's Holistic Development . Experimentally analyzed music activities are set forth as constituting the basis of personality's music experience; the holistic approach to child's development in the piano training process is modeled; experimental test results are provided to show the model's implementation in practice. Provisions Defended in Thesis 1. The holistic approach is supported in the national piano playing school's historic evolution through adherence to the unity of child's heterochronous natural and social development. 2. Piano mastering is based on creating qualitative value of a personality's entirety, i.e. the heterochronous unity of mind, feelings and will, and is achieved as the personality's individuality and uniqueness. 3. Various music activities, such as listening, singing, playing, rhythmical movements, form the personality's individual music experience which is expressed in imitation, improvisation and interpretation in the piano training process.