Posted on February 3, 2025 by University College
UTSA’s Aaron Galliher earns his Ph.D. and national recognition for research on student engagement through Model-Eliciting Activities, highlighting innovative approaches to learning and academic success.
Aaron Galliher at UTSA's Doctoral Conferral Ceremony in December 2024
Aaron Galliher, assistant professor of practice for Academic Introduction and Strategies (AIS) at UTSA, earned his doctorate in December, marking a significant milestone in his educational journey and a testament to his commitment to excellence in education.
Galliher’s dissertation, titled “Engaging Aural Skills Students Through Model-Eliciting Activities,” explores the use of Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs) in aural skills music classrooms to foster student motivation and engagement. MEAs encourage students to create models for solving problems rather than just finding an “end result” answer and moving on.
His research showed that students participating in collaborative MEAs reported heightened motivation and engagement. They also expressed greater enthusiasm and confidence in their perceived skill level. This suggests that modeling-based approaches can positively impact student learning experiences and academic achievement.
Galliher’s work has already received notable recognition. He was honored with the Best Student Paper award for research from his dissertation at the 2024 Pedagogy into Practice Conference. Additionally, his work appears in The Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy.
A first-generation college student, Galliher joined UTSA’s AIS team in Fall 2022. He currently serves as the coordinator for the Exploratory and Interdisciplinary Education pathways. Outside of his academic achievements, he is also the proud parent of two children.
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