Latinx Students and Secondary Music Education in the United States

Journal of Research in Music Education

Robinson²

2020

This study was an investigation of middle and high school students’ preferences for various music learning conditions and secondary music course offerings. The stratified random sample included students who were and were not enrolled in school music classes ( N = 827). Participants represented secondary school music students ( n = 369), students who only participate in music outside of school ( n = 254), and nonparticipants in music ( n = 204). The research questions for this study concerned students’ preferences for teacher role, group size, and repertoire in the music classroom as well as interest in six different secondary music courses. Findings showed out-of-school music participants and nonparticipants had a stronger preference for small group learning environments and repertoire choice when compared to school music participants. In-school and out-of-school music participants expressed similar levels of interest in four music course offerings and ranked them as follows: (1) piano/guitar class, (2) music composition with technology class, (3) popular music groups, and (4) music history/theory class. In-school and out-of-school music participants differed on only two course offerings: large ensembles and world music groups. In-school music participants expressed high interest in large ensembles, whereas out-of-school music participants conveyed a lower interest in large ensembles.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary Students’ Preferences for Various Learning Conditions and Music Courses: A Comparison of School Music, Out-of-School Music, and Nonmusic Participants

Journal of Research in Music Education

Robinson²

2020

“…Attainment value refers to the importance of a task as it relates to the essential aspects of oneself (identity). Researchers have repeatedly demonstrated that some students do not see their identities (e.g., musical, race/ethnicity, and gender) as congruent with choral participation (Escalante, 2019; P. K. Freer, 2010; Hawkinson, 2015).…”

Section: Expectancy Value Theory: Self-efficacy Value Costs and Barriersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research-to-Resource: Two Motivation Frameworks for Encouraging School Choral Participation

Update: Applications of Research in Music Education

2022

Sustaining or increasing participation in school choral programs is a priority among choral music educators. Motivation frameworks are helpful tools for understanding why students start, stop, or sustain involvement in activities. In this article, I explore some of the sociopsychological factors associated with choral music participation through the lens of two motivation frameworks: Self-determination theory (SDT) and Expectancy-value theory (EVT). First, I use SDT to highlight classroom characteristics that encourage intrinsic motivation and sustain long-term engagement in choir. Second, I explore how concepts from EVT are important to consider when designing a choral program and the associated recruiting strategies. Finally, I frame choral music participation as an inherently complex phenomenon—differences between enrollment rates and program characteristics are to be expected and welcomed, given the numerous ways motivational factors and school environments influence involvement. I briefly address each motivation theory followed by multiple classroom applications.

“…These included prerequisites of the music program (instrumentation and skill), time requirements outside the school day, and associated costs/fees of transportation, instruments, and trips. Other music education scholars have extended the idea of a closed-system (i.e., beyond skill-level, time, and finances) to conceptualizing the closed music program as closed to students with certain social or cultural identities (Allsup, 2007; Escalante, 2019). (This issue will be addressed further in the Interpersonal section of this review.…”

Section: Structural Factors Related To Secondary Music Participationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Music teachers and advocacy leaders might work to encourage identity congruence between the school music program and students in the general population by applying culturally responsive practices to instruction and recruiting efforts (Fitzpatrick-Harnish, 2015; Shaw, 2015). A music teacher may find the structure and content of their school music program (e.g., repertoire, instructional design, audience engagement, and recruiting strategies) is not reflective of the cultural norms or values of some students not enrolled in a music course (Escalante, 2019). The school music program may be, in essence, a closed-system only open to students that match a particular social or cultural identity (Allsup, 2007).…”

Section: Interpersonal Factors Related To Secondary Music Participationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, some studies have shown that a student's ethnicity is sometimes related to the type of music class they join (Alegrado & Winsler, 2020;Elpus & Abril, 2019). It is possible that some secondary students feel a conflict between their cultural identity and the priorities and norms of some school music classes (Brewer, 2010;Escalante, 2019;Shaw, 2015). Beyond broader social norms, evidence suggests that parents and peers have a unique influence on the perceived norms of students' social identities.…”

Section: Social Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding Participation in Secondary Music Classes: A Literature Review

Update: Applications of Research in Music Education

2020

Sustaining and increasing participation in secondary music classes has been a regular topic of discourse within the field of music education. Music researchers and professionals have recently addressed specific issues related to music participation such as access to music classes, policy initiatives, and student interest in the music curriculum. This review of literature is an exploration of student enrollment trends in secondary music classes and a broad examination of the many factors that influence student enrollment decisions. In this review of literature, I frame music participation as a complex issue where multiple factors influence enrollment in secondary music classes. Next, research on the structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal factors that affect music participation are presented. Finally, I address how music teachers and advocacy leaders might direct their efforts to support and increase music participation.