ABSTRACT

Understanding and evaluation of developmental growth in students` affective domain comprise a critical element of musical performance and thus ask for immediate attention from scholars and instructors alike. This study was conducted to develope an assessment tool based on self-reported questionnaire to measure affective response which is one of the affective domains. The present instrument was constructed by conceptually integrating various types of music affective responses in music educational settings identified by existing studies. Each of the items was classified into one of three factors(Emotional Sensitivity, Musical Taste. Musical Attitude). To test the construct validity of this instrument, Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA) was performed to verify the researcher`s three factors model and alternative models(4, 5 factors), and model reviewing the results of the statistical analysis. The results show that the four factors model including Music Subject Attitude, Musical Sensitivity, Musical Taste, Musical Art Appreciation, offers the best explanation of the empirical patterns observed in the data. To verify the content validity of the factors, the scale items identified from the confirmatory factor analysis were compared with the researcher`s initial classification. In addition, the coefficient alpha formula was used to assess reliabilities of the four scales as identified above. Finally, the usability of the ease of administration, the amount of time required for administration, the ease of scoring and ease of interpretation and application was assessed through a review by a panel of university faculty members, who were experts in educational measurement and music education. Based on the results of this study, this study offers several implications for music educators and researchers who are interested in affective responses in music education classes. While the researcher initially hypothesized that music subject attitude and musical art attitude would comprise a single factor, the results indicate that they were empirically separate from each other. This finding suggest that it would be more suitable to renace musical art attitude as musical art appreciation. According to the present results, no relationship between the subject attitude and art appreciation - that is, enthusiastic and positive attitude in music classes was not related to musical art values and positive musical taste. Music educators, therefore, should reconsider teaching methods to increase musical art appreciation that seems relatively independent from students` attitudes toward music classes. This pattern provides an empirical support for educators` and researchers` arguments that evaluations in cognitive and psycho-motor areas a completed assessment for students` musical ability toward the goals and objectives of music education. In assessing the content validity of the self-reported questionnaire, some items that had been conceptually developed to assess Musical Taste were empirically classified as items for Music Subject Attitude. In addition, some items designed to measure Musical Attitude turned out to indicate Musical Sensitivity. These findings suggest that the distinction or boundary between emotion and attitude/values might be vague. Unlike theoretical differentiations, it is difficult, of not impossible, to make precise empirical differentiation between emotion and attitude or emotion and cognition. The present study has developed an assessment tool for affective responses. Future research endeavors might be directed at developing an assessment tool for aesthetic responses studies related to. Researchers also should pursue desirable methods and factors which may play an important role in achieving high levels of affective performance among students.