Self-regulating Learning Strategies in Instrumental Music Practice

This paper reports on how two advanced conservatoire students self-regulated their use of learning strategies within practice sessions. The study capitalised on a naturally occurring activity, and the students were asked to give verbal reports both during and immediately after practice sessions as they prepared a complex piece for performance. The sessions were also videotaped. The findings indicated the students to have extensive self-regulatory skill that enabled them to optimise their learning and performances taking into account interpersonal, contextual and intrapersonal conditions. They sat specific goals, engaged in strategic planning, used self-instruction, task strategies and monitored themselves selectively at a detailed level. In addition, they evaluated themselves adopting criteria that they revised. The implication is that these advanced students demonstrated skilful self-regulatory learning. The complexity and the diversity of the cyclic self-regulation of learning strategies that these students engaged in during practice are demonstrated in a preliminary model .