Grade 12 students’ intentions to persist in music performance beyond graduation: Application of expectancy-value theory of motivation

Desistance from music across the life cycle has prompted music education researchers to employ numerous methodologies and theoretical frameworks to investigate and support individuals’ motivation to persist in music. While transition periods have garnered significant interest, the transition from grade 12 to life beyond graduation remains insufficiently researched. The purpose of the study reported in this article was to examine grade 12 music students’ motivation to persist in music performance beyond high school (e.g., higher education, workforce, military, etc.) in the United States of America. The study examined the extent to which the constructs discussed in the expectancy-value theory of motivation (i.e., expectancy, intrinsic value, affirmation value, utility value, cost) were salient predictors of grade 12 music performance students’ intentions to persist in music beyond high school graduation. Using modified instruments from existing expectancy-value literature, grade 12 music students in the United States were surveyed to measure perceptions of expectancy of success and value of participating in music performance experiences beyond high school. A multiple linear regression model indicated that intrinsic value and utility value were salient predictors of individuals’ intentions to persist in music beyond graduation. These findings contribute to discourse on supporting persistence in music across the life cycle. Furthermore, the representation of students on a variety of trajectories (e.g., 4-year institution, community college, trade school, military, workforce, gap year, etc.) provided insight into diverse conceptualizations of how music fits into individuals’ lives beyond high school.