Solo music performance assessment criteria: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Music Performance Assessment
• Pedagogical Evaluation
• Systematic Review in Music Education

Background:

• Music performance assessment is vital for student progress but faces challenges due to subjectivity and interpretation.
• Existing assessment systems vary in evaluation categories, criteria, and rating methodologies.
• The PRISMA systematic review addresses these challenges by analyzing current solo music performance assessment systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delimit and analyze solo music performance assessment systems in the literature.
• To identify evaluation categories, descriptive criteria, rating methodologies, and target audiences of these systems.
• To provide a foundation for improving music education assessment practices.

Main Methods:

• A PRISMA systematic review was conducted, searching Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC databases.
• Keywords related to solo music performance assessment were used to identify relevant studies.
• Twenty papers were selected, yielding 26 original assessment systems for analysis.

Main Results:

• Assessment systems primarily focused on high school and university students, evaluated by teachers and faculty.
• Systems commonly assessed technical, interpretative/expressive, and musical features, often using Likert scales or rubrics.
• A significant finding was the lack of differentiation in assessment criteria across student learning stages.

Conclusions:

• Current solo music performance assessment systems offer a basis for evaluation but require refinement.
• Differentiating assessment criteria based on student learning stages is crucial for enhanced pedagogical effectiveness.
• This research provides insights for educators and policymakers to improve music curriculum design and instruction.