Efficacy of integrated physical education and music culture instruction in the first cycle of elementary education

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to determine the efficacy of a methodological model that would enable, by integrating physical education and music culture, pupils to be more successful at aquiring the teaching and learning content related to traditional folk dances and develop their sense for music rhythm more efficiently. Experimental method with two parallel groups (EG - experimental group and CG - control group) was used in the research. The experimental program was created based on the recommended content related to traditional folk dances covered in the school subjects Physical Education and Music Culture in the first cycle of elementary education. An integrated approach was applied with the EG in covering the content of traditional folk dances, while the same content was covered in the traditional way with the CG. Testing technique was used to determine the level of development of the sense for music rhythm in both groups, whereas a test for determining the development of the sense for music rhythm served as the research instrument. The obtained results indicate that pupils in the experimental group, where the integrated methodological approach was applied, show a higher level of developed sense for music rhythm than pupils in the other group. It should be stressed that the results confirmed the correlation between music abilities and the movement technique in the folk dances, indicating that the sense for music rhythm should be developed in elementary school as early as possible. This developed sense will serve pupils well at later stages of education and life.