Research-to-Resource: Two Motivation Frameworks for Encouraging School Choral Participation

Sustaining or increasing participation in school choral programs is a priority among choral music educators. Motivation frameworks are helpful tools for understanding why students start, stop, or sustain involvement in activities. In this article, I explore some of the sociopsychological factors associated with choral music participation through the lens of two motivation frameworks: Self-determination theory (SDT) and Expectancy-value theory (EVT). First, I use SDT to highlight classroom characteristics that encourage intrinsic motivation and sustain long-term engagement in choir. Second, I explore how concepts from EVT are important to consider when designing a choral program and the associated recruiting strategies. Finally, I frame choral music participation as an inherently complex phenomenon—differences between enrollment rates and program characteristics are to be expected and welcomed, given the numerous ways motivational factors and school environments influence involvement. I briefly address each motivation theory followed by multiple classroom applications.