Introduction
The intrapersonal domain refers to “the capacity of managing our emotions and behaviours to achieve learning goals” (Jefferson & Anderson 2021, p. 81).
According to Jefferson & Anderson (2021) in The Learning Disposition Wheel, Focus is associated with ability to self-regulate and confidence (p. 67). It is described in terms of focussed thinking, self-efficacy, confidence in self and abilities, and self-direction of achievements, as well as the self-monitoring of emotions and behaviours (p. 81).
The responses from the participants revealed examples of focussed individual musical practice that demonstrated focussed thinking, self-direction and self-efficacy. Others mentioned rewards of focussed practice and of the benefits of mental practice, as well as the focus required in the actual performance. It was noted that the nature of TYO with its focussed agenda on music-making made it easier to achieve focus as there were no other distractions. Short rehearsal periods added extra pressure but also focussed the players on achieving performance goals. There were less observations about the ability to self-regulate emotions from the players or tutors/conductors but the need to focus and learn to be able to let go of emotions around performance can build transferrable skills in self-monitoring and self-regulation of emotions and behaviours. Some saw themselves as modelling these behaviours of self-regulation and perseverance to the students.
What our participants said
“I'm putting in committed hours into my practice where I run through all of my repertoire and pull apart anything and everything that can be improved upon” (Frederick, player).
“You must be quite precise… while performing, you get only one chance to get everything right” (William, player).
“The ensemble worked better when they realised we had to work to a strict schedule” (Sandra, conductor).
“We've made them do quite a lot of really hard work quite fast that they've been part of an extremely high-profile release of work with a professional ensemble and I think that was quite hectic for some of them” (Tory, conductor).
“You've got to be able to let it go. But having the thing to aim for in the first place, is the important thing. And then having the resilience just to go with “close enough is good enough in this situation… Kids that just want to turn up…in my experience always usually turned out really well…and they can persevere at things.” (Sandra, conductor)
“I think that it means to me seeing situations and being able to step away from them. Even if one has had an initial reaction, to be able to step away from them. And concentrate on a solution if one is required. Or if a solution is not required to see the situation from an objective point of view. And really looking at it as possibly becoming a subconscious reaction after a while” (David, conductor).
Exemplar
Ways of encouraging focus and self-direction through goal-setting were identified by tutors and conductors. The encouragement of players to form personal opinions about the musical outcomes they are seeking was underlined as being critical to self-efficacy: “We need opinions. And then we need to measure the opinion against what it was that you wanted in the first place.
These are so incredibly important, because if kids don't understand the importance of personal opinion in their practice, then they can't understand the importance of the ‘practice-at-home’ process.”
Other strategies employed to encourage focus included members of TSO working with sections to assist in problem solving and build confidence of the young players (David) and redirecting wandering attention (Ben). For older students, easier pieces that are necessary for newer members, can provide less of a musical challenge.
One of the conductors (Timothy) redirected attention of the more experienced students to what they could focus on to make easier works more meaningful: “even though it's easy for you, you can always work on lots of different aspects of your playing…technique, intonation, various things”
What does this mean for me?
- Provide students with meaningful choices about repertoire and practice so they can pursue their needs, interests and goals.
- Get students to create their own goals, monitor their progress and reflect on their strengths and yet to be strengths.
- Invite players to attend to bodily responses to learning using the mind.
- Use reflective dialogue to develop learning about focus.
- Scaffold self-regulated learning challenges.
- Provide opportunity for self-directed learning.
- Acknowledge and reward self-directed focussed learning efforts.
- Ask students to identify what they already know, and how they might apply their new learning.
- Invite students to consider what they need to do to learn more.
- Ask students to share what motivates them to learn, and how they might draw on this when they find learning challenging.