The development of a criterion reference rating instrument for the evaluation, teaching and training of undergraduate conductors.

摘要

The purpose of this research was to develop and implement a criteria-specific rating instrument that accurately assessed levels of achievement among undergraduate students of beginning conducting. After examination of the literature and consultation with expert conducting instructors the Conducting Rating Instrument (CRI) was developed. The CRI is a rating instrument containing the following categories of conducting performance: posture, baton grip, preparatory gesture, ending gesture, pattern, left hand, cues, facial expression and gestural expression. The CRI initially contained seven continuous, and two additive criteria-specific rating scales. To investigate the validity and reliability of the CRI, video examples of students conducting an excerpt from William Schuman's Chester: Overture for Band (1957) were evaluated. During the first administration of the CRI two panels, comprised of three judges each, evaluated student-conducting demonstrations by viewing the video recordings of the students in random order using the CRI. An additional panel of two judges viewed the video recordings and provided letter grades for each student conducting demonstration based on a 4.0 scale. The analysis included an investigation of the psychometric characteristics of the CRI. Although the data from Trial One indicated that each judge was able to be consistent within themselves (.95) the interjudge reliabilities were moderate to low. The CRI was then revised and a second trial was undertaken. The results from the analysis of the data from Trial Two showed an improvement in many of the rating scales and intrajudge alpha reliabilities. The interjudge reliabilities also improved to .79, .85, and .84, all significant at the .01 level of confidence. There remained substantial intercorrelations among the various rating scales of the CRI. This indicated a limited degree of diagnostic validity. A difficulty in separating judgments of conducting achievement remained, either due to limitations associated with written criteria or the true interdependence of multiple components of conducting. The results of this study provides evidence that it is possible to develop a conducting rating instrument that contributes to consistent and accurate judgments of different levels of conducting achievements.