A Motivational Sequence Model of High School Ensemble Students’ Intentions to Continue Participating in Music

Grounded in a hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (HMIEM), the primary aim of this study was to test a full motivational sequence at the contextual level in a high school ensemble setting (Social-Contextual Factors → Psychological Needs → Motivation → Consequences). I specifically examined the relationships between multifaceted variables within this sequence, including teacher-created social contexts, psychosocial needs, types of motivation, and consequences. A secondary purpose of this study was to determine whether gender would impact the results of the sequence of motivational processes. Structural equation modeling analysis with a sample of 425 high school ensemble students revealed that social-contextual factors provided by the teachers were related to satisfaction of fundamental autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs, which in turn influenced intrinsic motivation, positive motivational outcomes, and persistence in musical activities. The multistep invariance analysis also revealed the model to be invariant for males and females. The results of the study supported the HMIEM and validated the application of the motivational sequence in the context of music education.