Constructive response to failure in music: the role of attribution feedback and classroom goal structure

Abstract

Within the past decade, researchers have made significant progress in understanding how and why students are motivated to learn. Little research, however, has examined motivation within music classrooms, despite indications that motivational responses to music and related arts classes may differ significantly from responses obtained in other school content areas. In the present study, the effects of attribution feedback for failure (ability, effort, strategy) on behavioural and affective responses to failure in music were examined. A total of 120 junior high students, randomly assigned to nine treatment conditions (outcome attribution x goal structure), were presented with a scenario describing the failure experience of a fictitious music student. After reading through the situational description, participants completed a questionnaire assessing their expectations about the student's future behaviours and affective responses. Results indicated that most participants believed the student would feel badly about his failure experience, but would respond constructively in terms of future classroom behaviour (performance, effort, use of sound strategies). The most to least constructive future behaviours and affective reactions occurred when failure was attributed to the use of inappropriate strategies, lack of effort, and lack of ability, respectively. Guilt, anger, and upset following failure and attribution feedback were more strongly correlated with constructive future behaviours than were shame and embarrassment. No significant results were found for classroom goal structures.Within the past decade, researchers have made significant progress in developing, modifying, integrating, and testing social-cognitive theories of achievement motivation. Much of this research has focused upon student cognition in relation t o adaptive and maladaptive patterns of achievement striving (Dweck, 1986). Studies conducted within both laboratory and classroom settings have begun to illuminate many of the underlying factors that influence students' views of intelligence and approaches to learning. The present study drew Failure in music 111upon three important theoretical perspectives: (a) the theory of constructive failure (Clifford, 1984); (b) attribution theory (Weiner, 1974(Weiner, , 1979; and (c) classroom goal structures (Ames, 1984; Dweck. 1986). These perspectives were integrated in an investigation of adolescents' behavioural and affective responses to failure in the general music classroom -a domain in which little prior research has been conducted. Theory of constructive failureFor many years, failure has been viewed as a negative outcome in academic circles and accordingly, there have been numerous efforts to minimise the occurrence of failure experiences within schools, especially among low achievers (Glasser, 1969). Dweck (1986), however, contends that these efforts -to make low-ability children feel like high-ability children by accompanying short and easy tasks with frequent praise -have largely failed. This is beca...

Musical Motivation: Towards a model synthesising the research

“…Considering the effect of attributing success or failure to the use of particular learning strategies, Vispoel and Austin (1993) found that students who explained their failure in relation to using poor learning strategies, or to making insuf cient effort, anticipated improving their performance, effort and strategy use in the future. Where failure was explained by lack of effort, students were likely to try harder in the future but not necessarily to improve their learning strategies.…”

Changes in motivation as expertise develops: Relationships with musical aspirations

“…To sustain motivation, appropriate attribution strategies to explain success and failure need to be adopted. Most effective are those which focus on effort, practice and strategy use (Asmus, 1986a(Asmus, , 1986bMcPherson & McCormick, 1999;Vispoel & Austin, 1993). Overall, in music, attributions tend to be made regarding effort, musical background, classroom environment, musical ability and love of music (Arnold, 1997;Asmus, 1986aAsmus, , 1986bAsmus, , 1989Legette, 1998).…”

Innate talents: Reality or myth?

“…Of course, a parent's beliefs about a child's putative talents can affect parental behaviours; hence such beliefs may indirectly affect a child's performance (e.g., Brophy & Good 1973). As noted in section 1, it is also true that selfbeliefs can predict future performance (Dweck 1986;Sloboda et al 1994a;Vispoel & Austin 1993). However, the question at issue is whether talent as such, as distinct from an individuals' beliefs about its presence, influences a child's attainments.…”