The psychological framework of self-determination theory is worth considering in the choral classroom.
Self-determination theory, developed by researchers Deci & Ryan, aims to how to more effectively inspire and encourage motivation in people.
According to the researchers, “The term self-determination refers to a person’s own ability to manage themselves, to make confident choices, and to think on their own.” I believe that those abilities are essential to becoming a functional adult, so they should be of major concern to educators.
The theory makes two main assumptions: first, that the need for growth drives behavior; second, that autonomous motivation is important. I don’t know anyone who isn’t seeking to grow and develop, and I know how important it is to feel intrinsic motivation, so these feel like valid assumptions to me.
Self-determination is primarily focused on intrinsic motivation – the urge to succeed that doesn’t require someone else to compel action.
I think that compulsory school does a poor job of nurturing intrinsic motivation; instead, we keep adding more extrinsic motivators in the form of grades, tests, and calendar-driven assignments.
The intrinsically motivated learner doesn’t require any of those things to motivate them to learn, and the adult with a healthy sense of self-determination through intrinsic motivation will have no trouble continuing to learn, grow, and achieve at ever-higher levels.
I happen to think that ensemble music education is better than average at encouraging intrinsic motivation and thus self-determination; because no one is required to be in these classes, and because the learning happening is not codified, tested, and “curriculumized” into the typical lock-step educational framework, we have more opportunities to allow students to explore and find their intrinsic motivation.
Over the next few days, I’ll be exploring the ways in which we can do even more to support self-determination in our students, and how some experiences are more effective than others in particular aspects of self-determination.