Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

students’ choosing. The work varied depending on the student’s use of sessions but
the work was consistent in what it offered.
The standard treatment for all students in addition to music therapy was schooling.
For The Centre School students, this generally consists of a morning of lessons in
small classes, some 1:1 work followed by activities in the afternoon. Music therapy is
always in addition to what school offers and takes place during a class lesson which is
time-tabled in arrangement with teachers. For the mainstream students music therapy
also occurs during a lesson time and in arrangement with subject teachers. These
students follow a full timetable at school in line with the National Curriculum (3.2).
Although there is no other therapy at the school, students are often referred to
different health and support services. Interventions which the students could be
offered, such as referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, youth
offending services or counselling provided by childrens’ homes, were not limited by
the running of this research project as this would have been unethical.
5.4 Quantitative data collection from students
Some of the research was by survey, known as a descriptive quantitative method.
‘Survey research involves collecting information by asking a set of predetermined
questions by means of a questionnaire to a sample of people who are selected to
represent a particular population’ (Prickett, 2005, p.50). This important means of data
collection had the advantage that it could be replicated in future projects (9.7) and all
the students were asked exactly the same questions which could be ‘added together to
produce results which apply to the whole sample’ (Wigram, 2005a, p.274). Selfreport
measures have been shown to be an effective way of obtaining information
about children (La Greca,1990; Kazdin,1990). However, this assessment which relies
on self-report also had disadvantages (9.3.3). For example, there was no way of
checking the truth of the students’ answers but, by the set up and arrangement of the
room with comfortable chairs and the warm-up conversation, it was hoped that
students would feel relaxed and settled enough to answer as honestly as possible.
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