Motivation

and
Practice

Why is doing your best an ineffective

goal for yourself?
When you are learning a new skill,
which should you concentrate on:
mastering it or performing it well in front
of others?
Which aspects of a job are more
important than money in increasing your
work satisfaction and involvement?
How is the desire to achieve affected by
the opportunity to achieve?

Extrinsic
motivation

Practice
Intrinsic
motivation

Family
background

School
environment

Peer
influences

Extrinsic
motivation

Opportunities
outside
school

Teacher
encouragement

Interest

Intelligence

Personality

Intrinsic
motivation

Self esteem

Confidence

Traits of highly motivated pupils?

and de-motivated ones?!

Intrinsic
motivation

Desire to
learn

Regular,
efficient
practice

Increased
confidence

Improvement

Motivational behaviour
focus on/react to
success and
positive
encouragement

focus on/react to
failure and criticism

How to help de-motivated pupils?

Johnston, P. (2007) The Practice

Revolution. PracticeSpot Press

Music students have to be

taught how to work by
themselves...because for six
days out of every seven
they have to work alone.

WHY
practise?
WHERE
to practise?

WHEN
to practise?
WHAT
to practise?

HOW
to practise?

Reflect on your own practice habits at

various stages of learning.

including now!

Gardner Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Linguistic
Mathematical-logical
Musical
Bodily-kinaesthetic
Spatial
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Spiritual
Bestial

Learning styles

Visual
Aural
Kinaesthetic

 We all learn through these three

senses, though one may be
more dominant than the others.
Adapting our teaching methods
to suit our pupils individual
needs can have a positive effect
on motivation.
BUT we also need to encourage
pupils to develop the senses
which dont come as naturally to
them.

For example, when teaching scales,

we can encourage pupils to practise
in the following ways

Visual

Aural

Kinaesthetic

Write out the notes of the scale

Read the scale from notation whilst saying the note
names out loud
Play the scale from notation
Read the scale backwards
Memorise the scale, visualising the printed score

Sing the scale, up and down

Hear it in their heads internalise
Work out the scale, or parts of it, by ear
Improvise in the key of the scale
Memorise the scale, focusing on the pitch

Write out the notes of the scale

Mime the fingerings of the scale whilst saying the
note names out loud
Improvise in the key of the scale
Memorise the scale, focusing on the
fingerings/hand/arm movements

What are your views on the following:

Practice as a re-creation of
the lesson?
Mental practice?

Practice makes perfect?

Quality not quantity?

And finally
Never let a pupil give up
without investigating first!

Even if they dont practise!