Students’ music motivation in secondary schools: Investigating a Greek public music school

Students’ motivation is a multifaceted phenomenon that plays a critical role in ensuring ongoing engagement in music learning. While extensive research has been conducted globally to investigate student motivation, data specific to Greek students remains notably scarce. This study addresses the gap by exploring the academic drive of Greek students in a public music school. Despite its location in Greece, the findings offer important insights that can inform international discussions on music education. The research employed a motivational framework developed by Jones, grounded in social-cognitive theory. This model examines motivation through five interconnected components: EMpowerment, Usefulness, Success, Interest, and Care—collectively referred to as MUSIC. The questionnaire included 18 items linked to these elements and was administered to 162 students, spanning both lower- and upper-secondary levels, who were attending individual instrument lessons. The findings revealed that students generally exhibited high levels of motivation across all five criteria. However, non-parametric analysis revealed statistically significant differences in results. Specifically, Care had the highest mean rank and consistently stood out as significantly different from all the others in the pairwise analysis. Interest and Success showed differentiation from Care, Empowerment, and Usefulness, although not from each other. Usefulness and Empowerment, which shared the lowest mean ranks, were perceived similarly and appeared to be less central than the other components. The research supports the argument that educators need to provide students with greater autonomy in their learning. Furthermore, fostering a clearer connection between music learning and its relevance to students’ future endeavors is imperative. These insights underscore the importance of refining instructional practices, not only in Greece but also in diverse educational settings worldwide, to enhance student motivation.