Attitudes of third- through sixth-grade children toward singing and choir participation and assessed singing skill

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of elementary music students toward singing and choir participation in relation to grade level and gender, classroom singing activities, previous and current out-of-school singing experiences, and degree of singing skill, both self-perceived and assessed. A questionnaire on attitudes toward singing and choir participation was administered to children in grades three through six in Austin, Texas. In addition, individual singing responses of 23% of the subjects were recorded and analyzed to assess singing skill. An analysis of the 542 questionnaires showed that the majority of subjects indicated a positive attitude toward singing, but positive responses at each grade level decreased as grade level increased. Girls and subjects in lower grades showed more positive attitudes than boys and subjects in upper grades. Slightly less than half of all respondents indicated interest in singing in a choir, with significantly more girls than boys showing interest in singing in a choir. Girls and students in the two lower grades responded more positively to items of interest in classroom singing activities and to items on out-of-school singing experiences. Those who liked to sing and those who wanted to sing in a choir also responded more positively. Self-perception of singing skill was more positive at lower grade levels, among girls, and among respondents who liked to sing or wanted to sing in a choir. The only significant relationship between assessed singing skill and other factors in this study was between grade level and melodic accuracy of the better performance of "Jingle Bells," in which fifth- and sixth-graders had higher scores for accuracy than third- and fourth-graders. Relationships between assessed singing skill and grade level, gender, attitude toward singing, and attitude toward choir participation, as well as relationships between self-perception of singing skill and assessed singing skill, were not significant. Results of this study offer the public school music teacher information which may be useful in promoting positive attitude toward singing and choir participation in the classroom and provide the choir director with knowledge helpful for recruitment, rehearsal, and performance purposes