Towards lifelong musical enjoyment: The application of the Self-Determination Theory and musical understanding during individual instrumental lessons

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Music learners, in some cases, cease the learning of their musical instruments. This may be due tovarious factors. However, many of the reasons can be associated with diminished enjoyment. Forlearners to enjoy music lifelong, benefitting from the value it can add to their lives, ways must befound for them not wanting to cease their learning. It is therefore necessary that music teachers findways in which enjoyment can be maintained. This was the main purpose of this study. It aimed todetermine how instrumental music teachers can apply the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and teachmusical understanding to promote musical enjoyment.The main question was partially addressed through a literature review of both SDT and musicalunderstanding, and mainly through multiple case studies of four instrumental teachers' learners andtheir lessons. These lessons took place at four different primary schools in the Western Cape. Theresearcher observed and transcribed the lessons, all the learners completed a SDT questionnaire, andcommented on their experience of enjoyment. The transcriptions of lessons and the comments thatlearners wrote were coded according to a pre-determined framework of SDT and musicalunderstanding. The qualitative data from the questionnaires were used to give an overview of the fourteachers' support of SDT, and to support the findings from the qualitative data.Teachers' support of SDT and musical understanding were found to contribute towards musicalenjoyment. Furthermore, specific ways in which teachers can do this, came from examples of thelessons and learners' written comments. It was also found that the correct actions according to theparameters of this study do not always guarantee that learners feel supported in a SDT sense, as theremay possibly be other factors that can impact their experiences of their music learning. With regardsto musical understanding, it was found that the teachers in this study prioritise it in their lessons.However, learners lacked an integrated understanding of theory and practice. Some ways of thinkingand knowing seemed to be neglected in instrumental lessons. Further study is recommended in howlearners perceive their teachers. Another opportunity for further research is learners showingintrojected regulation, despite their teachers' actions that should theoretically result in moreinternalised forms of motivation.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University