Grade 12 Students’ Intentions to Persist in Music Beyond Graduation: Application of the Expectancy-Value Theory of Motivation
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Date
2024-01-09
Authors
Siegal, Cameron
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Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Seminal music education accords, including the Housewright and Tanglewood Symposia, call on music educators to support lifelong engagement with music. Citing challenges with retention in music programs and persistence in music across the life cycle, music education researchers have employed a range of methodologies and theoretical frameworks to investigate individuals’ motivations to persist in music. While transition periods (e.g., middle school to high school, high school to college, etc.) have garnered significant interest, the transition from grade 12 to life beyond graduation remains insufficiently researched. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine grade 12 music students’ transition to life beyond high school (e.g., higher education, work force, military, etc.) and their motivation to persist in music performance experiences through the framework of expectancy-value theory of motivation. The following questions were addressed: (1) To what extent do grade 12 music performance students value continued involvement in music performance experiences beyond high school graduation? (2) To what extent do grade 12 music performance students hold positive views of expectancy in music performance experiences beyond graduation? (3) Which of the constructs discussed in the expectancy-value theory of motivation (i.e., expectancy, intrinsic value, affirmation value, utility value, cost) are salient predictors of grade 12 music performance students’ intentions to persist in music beyond high school graduation? Using modified instruments from existing expectancy-value literature, grade 12 music students in the United States were surveyed to examine perceptions of expectancy of success in music performance experiences and value of participating in music performance experiences beyond high school. A multiple linear regression model indicated that intrinsic value and utility value were salient predictors of individuals’ intentions to persist in music beyond graduation. These findings contribute to discourse on supporting persistence in music during the significant transition to life beyond high school. Furthermore, the representation of students on a variety of trajectories (e.g., four-year institution, community college, trade school, military, workforce, gap year, etc.) provided insight into diverse conceptualizations of how music fits into individuals’ lives beyond high school.
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Keywords
Expectancy-Value Theory, Grade 12, Lifelong Musicianship, Motivation, Music Education, Subjective Task Value