Australian primary students’ motivation and learning intentions for extra-curricular music programmes

ABSTRACT

What are the motivational differences between students who intend to continue their learning in instrumental and choral music programmes and those who intend to discontinue? Using an achievement-goal perspective, this study investigated motivation and learning intentions of Australian students who had engaged in these extra-curricular music programmes in school. The results showed that continuing and discontinuing students differed from each other in mastery goals, performance-approach goals, self-concept of ability, enjoyment, devaluing of music, perceived parental support, and time spent on practice. Using mastery and performance-approach goals as predictors, this study located three clusters of music students: mastery-focused, multiple-goal, and unmotivated students. Multiple-goal students who endorsed simultaneously mastery and performance-approach goals had the most adaptive motivational pattern in learning their music programmes. Students in both mastery-focused and multiple-goal groups were more likely to continue their learning in these music programmes while those in the unmotivated group were more likely to quit.

KEYWORDS:

• Motivation
• achievement goals
• extra-curricular music
• music learning
• learning intention

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Clarence Ng is Associate Professor and Program Director at Learning Sciences Institute Australia, Australian Catholic University. His current research foci include learning engagement, literacy education and education for disadvantaged students.