The phenomenon of orchestral practice: implications for student motivation and learning - teacher's point of view

Abstract

In recent decades, we have witnessed a significant increase in research on music teaching-learning processes. However, we still find few scientific studies related to the development of group musical practices, namely orchestra practice. This exploratory study aims to understand the phenomenon of orchestral music practice, especially to understand how this practice is reflected in students' motivation and practice. To know their perceptions on this topic, we interviewed 15 music teachers who have students attending orchestra classes. A content analysis of the information compiled from the interviews was performed by means of brief descriptive summaries; systematic summaries based on chosen categories; collection of the most relevant information and comparison of data with the literature. As a result, we can say that teachers perceive that playing in orchestra motivates students to learn and practice their instrument even more, increasing the time they dedicate to practice and clearly helping them to develop their musical and social skills. The social nature of this task, which involves bonding with peers, makes it a source of motivation. Furthermore, playing in an orchestra seems to help students' autonomy to grow because of a perceived competence, becoming a challenge in which there is a balance between the complexity of the task to be performed and the perceived competence to perform it successfully.