Time Use, Rehearsal Activity, and Student Off-Task Behavior during the Initial Minutes of High School Choral Rehearsals

Abstract

In this study, the use of rehearsal time during the initial minutes (i.e., the warm-up time) of 33 high school choral rehearsals was examined. Student attentiveness was also investigated during initial rehearsal activities. Trained observers used interval observation techniques in collecting attentiveness, rehearsal activity, and time usage data. Interobserver agreement averaged .93 for off-task, .88 for activity coding, and .85 for rehearsal timing. Conductors averaged 43.45 elapsed seconds prior to the first verbal statement to begin and 14 minutes 19 seconds prior to rehearsal of literature. Time allotted to rehearsal activities was the following: sight-reading, 22.23%; vocal warm-up, 9.63%; getting ready, 6.75%; physical warm-up, 3.37%; literature instruction, 1.84%; and other activity, 1.46%. Off-task percentages were: getting ready, 26.14%; physical warm-up, 18.48%; other, 16.53%; literature instruction, 16.27%; vocal warm-up, 15.07%; and sight-reading, 9.22%. Results indicated that the highest percentages of off-task behavior occurred during activities requiring less singing and active participation. Off-task behavior seemed to be a function of the nature of the activity.