8/4/2019 Discuss the Role of the Teacher in Motivating Pupils to Practise

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Discuss the role of the teacher in motivating pupils to practise

It is of utmost importance that the teacher ensures that their pupils are motivated to practice.

Therefore, in this short essay I will briefly focus on two aspects of pupil motivation that can be

encouraged by the teacher -

Intrinsic motivation (I.e. Nurturing a pupils natural love and enthusiasm) and Extrinsic (I.e. The importance of rewards, goals and challenges)

It is essential for a teacher to nurture a pupils intrinsic motivation to practice, and Joan Last argues

that on the most basic level, this can begin with your personal qualities and natural demeanour; If

the pupil is to enjoy learning, you must enjoy your lesson too.1

Of course, it would be ill-informed to

generalise that every pupil would thrive and progress under a relaxed and approachable teacher.

Rather, with regards to pupil motivation, the teacher must consider how the pupil-teacher

relationship can be affected by their personality, and try to adjust accordingly. To cross reference

this notion, Heinrich Neuhaus says, One is not a teacher; one is an inspirer,2

which inherentlyrelates to motivation. Intrinsic motivation to practice can also be encouraged by choice of repertoire

to be covered. My own experience has consistently shown that when a pupil likes playing a piece,

they will naturally want to practice it more than if they are playing something which they cannot

relate to. Therefore, whilst intrinsic motivation may appear unrelated to external contributing

factors, I believe the teacher can encourage it.

With regards to extrinsic motivation, there are more direct ways in which a teacher can aid

motivation. Sidney Harrison comments that, The prospect of a goal to reach is very exciting for a

child,3

which I agree with because for many pupils, the prospect of being rewarded and praised for

doing well aids the feeling of fulfilment. Consequently, little things such as rewards and praise canmake a big difference when it comes to practicing ostensibly monotonous scales or exercises. This

idea of fulfilment can also be supported if the teacher demonstrates to the pupil how practice turns

seemingly impossible feats into tangible musical enjoyment. This can be done by setting realistic

yet subtle challenges which the pupil can use to track progression, which is supported by Peter

Websters belief that, ..the less the [pupil] is aware that he is actually learning, the more they will

engage with the activity on an inquisitive level, and therefore progress quicker.4

So, if the teacher is

aware that a certain passage of difficult arpeggios can be tackled as smaller challenges to be

overcome when practising, a pupil may feel extrinsically inspired once they have practiced a difficult

passage to the point where they can play it with ease.

To conclude, the teacher has a very important and multi-faceted role in encouraging the

pupil to practice, and this can be done by promoting a balance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

within the pupil.

Word count: 503

1The Young Pianist, page 7

2

The Art of piano playing, page 103The Young Persons Guide to playing the piano, page 7

4Creativity as creative thinking, page 88

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Bibliography

Harrison, Sidney. The Young Persons Guide to playing the piano Faber, London, 1966.

Heinrich, Neuhaus. The Art of piano playing. Barrie and Jenkins, London, 1973.

Last, Joan. The Young PianistAn approach for teachers and students. Oxford

University Press, London, 1972.

Webster, Peter. Creativity as creative thinking. From Teaching Music ed. Gary

Spruce. Routledge, London, 1996.