Author: Appell, Claudia Jane
Title: The Effects of the 4MAT System of Instruction on Academic Achievement and
Attitude in the Elementary Music Classroom
School/Degree: University of Oregon/Ed.D.
Date: 1991
Abstract: The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the 4MAT
System of Instruction on student achievement and attitudes.The subjects were
fifth grade students who attended schools outlying the metropolitan area of
Portland Oregon. Eight teachers were randomly placed in either the 4MAT or
textbook group. Four teachers and 87 students were in the textbook and the
additional four teachers and 67 students participated in the 4MAT group.
The 4MAT lessons were based on Bernice McCarthy’s eight step instructional
model. The textbook lessons were structured as the lessons in the Centennial
Edition (1985), Silver Burdett, grade 5, rhythm unit. The eight lessons were
taught in nine consecutive instructional sessions. Attitude was measured using
an instrument designed by the author.
The achievement hypothesis was investigated using two group, pretest, posttest
experimental design. The results of the pre- and post tests and the attitude survey
were analyzed using a t-test with significance established at the .05 level for
one-tailed comparisons. The mean difference in achievement scores between the
two groups indicated the students in the 4MAT group achieved significantly
greater gains than students in the textbook group.