Action Research On Music Teaching By Flipped Classroom For Elementary School

Flipped Classroom is becoming a global phenomenon for innovative education thanks to its efficiency,variety and fun.For elementary education in China,Flipped Classroom is mainly developed in mathematics,Chinese language and English,which are the tree fundamental subjects.The We Chat channel “Flipped Classroom for IELTS”,for example,hits over 1,000 daily views.Despite its popularity in other subjects,Flipped Classroom is rarely adopted or investigated in music education.Musical Flipped Classroom,as an innovative education approach,combines traditional music education with information technology.It changes when and where music is taught and learned,which can effectively and uniquely change the status quo of elementary music education.Flipped Classroom is able to integrate singing,performing and song writing in order to improve elementary music education and students' music skills.This article is aimed at an practical approach.Based on practical studies on third-grade students from Elementary School in Shijiazhuang,Hebei,this work applies “Plan,Action,Observation,and Rethinking” into the research process.From September 2017 to January2018,we applied 4 rounds of Flipped Classroom education with in-class observations,discussions,peer reviews and teaching journals.As a teaching staff,the author directly involved into the research,applied Scaffolding Theory into practices,made detailed description and analysis,including the following 4 stages.First,preparation stage.The author did an extensive literature study,categorized theories,characteristics,workflows,designs of Flipped Classroom studies,and summarized the current trends of Flipped Classrooms.Based on these studies,the author decided the ideas,methods,contents and purposes of this study.Second,activity stage.With the Scaffolding Theory as teaching method in practice,this work uses in-class observation,case studies,questionnaires and discussions.4 rounds of studies were conducted based on the idea of “Plan,Action,Observation and Rethinking”.Through reforming and optimizing pre-class self-studying materials and in-class contents of Flipped Classrooms,we discovered the fundamental strategies of Flipped Classroom designof elementary music education.Third,summarization stage.Through pre-class preparation,in-class interaction and after-class feedback,we applied a gradual approach for investigation,assessment and rethinking.We proposed education schema,structures and discussed contents,methods,resources and strategies for Flipped Classroom for elementary music education.Fourth,reflection stage.Based on the real-world practices,the author conducts thorough rethinking and reflections in music education and Flipped Classroom research in order to discover problems and weaknesses.With sustainability,focus and dynamics in mind,we analyzed and applied the successful cases in Flipped Classroom studies into elementary music education.Flipped Classroom for elementary music education completely changed traditional teaching schema by reversing the order of teaching knowledge and digesting knowledge.It integrates educational resources,changes teaching approaches and improves teaching efficiency,which focuses on students and topics.Giving music back to the classroom becomes the basic design mentality.A variety of musical activities could testify the teaching results and motivate students to learn.Although Flipped Classrooms changes teaching contents to in-class or after-class tasks,classrooms become stages where students could learn and show their talents.In the meanwhile,this new music teaching approach also challenges both teachers and students as well as the hardware requirements.Music class is all about music.No matter what teaching schema is applied,the ultimate goal is to give music back to the classroom and back to the students.