| This collective case study was an inquiry into portfolio assessment in middle school chorus, which took place at a small suburban middle school in New York. Study participants were 53 eighth grade male and female choral students, ranging in age from 13 to 15 years.; The primary data for this study were acquired during a 6-month period from the beginning of the school year to the midpoint of the third grading period. Artifacts from participants' portfolios constituted the primary data for this study. These included questionnaires, individual performances by each student, recorded on videotape, and ensemble performance, also recorded on videotape. Individual performances were followed by self, peer, and teacher evaluations and ensemble performances were followed by reflective statements.; An item analysis was followed by a cross-case pattern analysis. Then, semi-structured interviews with four student informants helped expand on and fill in the primary data. Finally, a structural analysis was conducted to link together the important themes. During the analysis, students' learning patterns were revealed, yet it also became clear that I had consistently made changes to the portfolio process in response to what I was learning. Therefore, data analysis and interpretation addressed these questions: (1) How do portfolios inform student learning? and (2) How do portfolios inform teacher learning?; Portfolio data revealed three major themes about student learning: First, repetition of assessment procedures led to students' increased confidence in their abilities to effectively evaluate of singing. Second, video recordings of student performances were essential because they provided an external focus for mutual assessment between student and peer or between student and teacher. Third, portfolio assessment allowed students to communicate their musical preferences.; Teacher learning uncovered adolescent values, and, again, three themes arose: First, music performed in the social context of chorus draws similar students together and functions as an identity badge. Next, regardless of race, gender or cultural background, 8th graders find a sense of belonging in chorus. A classroom environment that mitigates against competition may partially explain this phenomenon. Third, participation in chorus appears to regulate adolescents' emotional states; music performed by the chorus facilitates emotional expression. |
