This study examined the effectiveness of world music pedagogy (how music is received, learned, taught, and transmitted within its home culture) in the middle school general music classroom in developing students' understanding of Andean altiplano musical practice. Research questions included (a) What is the difference in learning outcomes between students who learn to make Andean music via traditional Western transmission methods and students who learn to make the same Andean music via indigenous Andean transmission systems? and (b) What evidence is there that learning through world music pedagogy can influence the instructional culture of the general music classroom?

In an applied research study, two 6th-grade general music classes made Andean music through singing, playing raft pipes, and creating Andean-styled music, one class via Western transmission techniques and the other via a transmission process modeled after that used by indigenous Andean altiplano musicians. Both groups' learning outcomes were evaluated on the presence and quality of Andean musical characteristics included in their compositions, the methods of Andean musical skill building used to create music, and the development and strength of the group relationship as it pertained to the creation and performance of Andean music.

Data analysis included qualitative assessments of pre- and postinstruction questionnaires, student journals, teacher journal, performance assessments, a written assessment, and group interviews. The assessment and evaluation procedures for measuring and describing learning outcomes were similar for both the “Western” and “Andean” classes. Students in the Western class had difficulty creating music that contained Andean musical characteristics and were inclined to develop their Andean musical skills as individuals rather than in groups. Students in the Andean class were able to replicate Andean musical characteristics with a higher degree of authenticity than were students in the Western class. The Andean class students created music communally and built Andean music-making skills in small groups, influencing the instructional culture of their music classroom to mimic the music culture of the Andean altiplano. The findings suggest that reform of current approaches to teaching music of other cultures warrants further applied research. Recommendations are set forth as the study's findings implicate.