The Motivation of Undergraduate Music Students: The Impact of Identification and Talent Beliefs on Choosing a Career in Music Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons why undergraduate music students choose a career in teaching classroom music and how these reasons are related to their beliefs about their identification with teaching classroom music, identification with music performance, teaching talent, and performance talent. Participants included 143 students enrolled in music performance and music education programs at seven large U.S. universities who completed an online questionnaire. One major reason that students chose a career in teaching music was that teaching music had become part of their identity, a part that was separate from their music performance identity. In many cases, the motivation for developing this identity was their belief that becoming a classroom music teacher would allow them to help students by acting as a role model. The findings suggest that further research related to career choice in music education should include the psychological construct of identification with teaching classroom music.

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