Primary school choir directors’ perceptions of motivation: Issues and way forward

Abstract

Primary school choir directors are well placed to share their opinions on the role of motivation in choral music. Their perceptions are particularly significant to the development and appreciation of choral music preparations and performances. Informed by humanistic theories, this article explores primary school choir directors’ perception of the significance of motivation to the quality of choral preparations and performances and further explores the strategies behind participants’ motivation to undertake extra responsibilities.    An exploratory qualitative case study design was employed to gather data from [N=20] twenty purposefully sampled choirmasters. Face to face interviews were carried out to solicit sentiments behind the choir directors’ motivation regarding the dual responsibility of a class teacher and school choir director. Findings reveal that motivation is an important factor in the achievement of desired outcomes. Choir directors have different forms of motivation, most of which were not appreciated to their satisfaction given the tasks and responsibilities that they accomplish. The study recommends that schools devise motivational strategies that inspire choir directors for the demanding extra responsibility.