Eighth- and ninth-grade students’ perceptions of a curriculum designed to support adolescent female vocal development: An action research study

Abstract

The purpose of this collaborative action research project was to examine eighth- and ninth-grade female (assigned at birth) students’ perspectives of their singing voice when implementing a practitioner/researcher designed curriculum titled Supporting Adolescent Female Vocal Development: Teaching Anatomy and Physiology in the Middle School Choral Classroom. The curriculum, designed specifically for the adolescent female voice, contained the following four units: the respiratory system, the larynx, the digestive system, and the skeletal system. The action research method, which contained four feedback loops, allowed us to assess, refine, and revise the curriculum to meet the needs of this specific group of adolescents. Salient themes that emerged from the data included participants’ perceptions of breath, passaggio, vocal range, vocal tone, feedback, and confidence. Overall, participants reported positive experiences throughout the unit; however, challenges emerged when we provided individual feedback and introduced complex terminology associated with vocal anatomy. Implications for practice include prioritizing a process-oriented curriculum theoretically grounded in the anatomy and physiology of the voice to serve the needs of adolescent singers.