The Adaptive Helpless-Oriented Student?

Motivation and the General Music Classroom

When we think of music education and motivation, we mostly think of the performance centered music classroom in which students are assigned a single instrument or vocal part over the course of many years. Research has been done on why students choose to continue with music or why certain students practice more than others, all of which require longitudinal data or student experiences. However, how does motivation play into the general music classroom? Students that may only study the guitar or the piano for a quarter, do they experience motivation is the same or similar way that a student in a performance only class would?

Motivation within an instrumental program usually involves rehearsals, public performance, and individual practice. However, in the case of a general music class, public performances may be limited and individual practice, outside of the classroom, may not be feasible. That is case for which I find myself currently in. As a high school general music teacher, I see around 200 kids a day over the course of 5 classes. Throughout the year I will teach, among other things, guitar, piano, and African drumming. Due to the nature of the piano and hand drums, students would not be able take instruments home to practice individually. As for the guitar, there are simply not enough guitars for each student to have the opportunity to take home. With minimal public performances and the lack of outside practice, how do I effectively promote musical motivation to my students?

When considering adaptive and maladaptive learning behaviors I find that many of my students fall within the category of the adaptive oriented learners. However, it is difficult to gauge adaptive vs maladaptive practicing behaviors when the practicing is done within class time and as a teacher facilitated activity. The question can be raised on how authentic or internal can the adaptive behavior be when there are direct outside influences. In regards to student behavior as mastery-oriented or helpless-oriented, students fall into both, although, more often in the latter. In this case students are putting in the work but believe they cannot develop or grow musically. Although teacher and peer support is available through positive and constructive feedback, a student may find them selves in the helpless-oriented state, especially if they are behind the majority of the class.

The challenge of a general music teacher teaching instrumental units is how to development a students internal motivation to become authentically adaptive mastery-oriented leaners. And perhaps, the way in which we identify motivation and its role in student learning should be reconsidered in the case of the general music classroom.