The purpose of this study was to compare two North American adaptations of the Kodály philosophy. The Kodály Method (1999) by Lois Choksy and Kodály Today (2008) by Mícheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka were the subjects of qualitative analysis. Curriculum context was established through published sources and author communication that articulated vision and purpose for each respective curriculum.
Coding techniques were used through the process of unitization. Each page was considered a separate data unit and assigned a category code. Codes were grouped together to identify emerging themes. Results from category assignments along with chapter information were entered into software called PASW 18.0 Statistical Analysis Software. Data were analyzed for the mode of each chapter and category code. Statistical results were compared to the vision and context expressed by personal communication. Third-party observers, Dr. Jerry L. Jaccard and Patty Moreno, were interviewed to inform and validate analysis. Results from personal communication, summative and statistical analysis were merged to explore commonalities and differences. Similarities arose in areas supportive of the foundational pedagogical philosophy and beliefs of the Kodály concept. Some consistency was observed between curriculum purpose expressed during personal communication with the author(s) and results from frequency analysis of categories. Differences could be explained by variations in curriculum purpose and perceived teacher needs. Implications for future research include a greater use of the role of context as a foundation for analysis of both curriculum and teaching techniques. Recognition of previous pedagogical process informs potential future development.
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