Influence of surroundings on the instrumental learning process: Strategies and guidelines for motivational intervention

Abstract

Various research projects in the field of education have demonstrated that a student's motivation is an essential factor in effective learning. The development of the student becomes an interactive process not limited to the pupil, but instead dependent on the task, its content, how it may be presented and the context in which the learning process is carried out. For this reason an analysis has been completed, showing the importance of motivation in the teaching methods of such legendary piano figures as Karl Leimer, Alfredo Casella, Javier Alfonso, Andor Foldes, Heinrich Neuhaus and Stewart Gordon. It was observed that most of the motivational strategies found in these sources are not presented with any scientific justification to support their usage, but that they are instead products of one's own teaching experience. By way of conclusion, effective motivational techniques are shared, not only for usage during instrumental classes, but to accompany and motivate the student throughout their individual study.