Engaging Adult Piano Students Through Transformative Pedagogical Approaches

Abstract

As the number of adults seeking to learn the piano increases, so too does the need for piano teachers to understand how to better facilitate their learning. This research offers detailed pedagogical insights into understanding and meeting the learning needs of six adult piano students through the author’s practitioner-based study. It investigates the use of transformative pedagogical strategies aimed at engaging adult students in all areas of their learning. The main themes explored are relevance and repertoire selection, lesson interactions and home practice. Using self-direction and experiential learning as the theoretical framework for this study, the author uncovers skill sets and mindsets associated with engagement in the contexts of adult piano students’ one-to-one piano lessons and home practice. The experiential learning cycle encompasses the metacognitive and cognitive skills associated with deliberate piano practice and self-direction. These include planning and implementing appropriate practice strategies, observing and reflecting on outcomes and adapting approaches to tasks accordingly. Developing and utilising these skills, however, is dependent on mindset factors that students bring to their learning. These include expectations, self-efficacy levels, epistemological beliefs, goal orientations and attributions. This nine-month study explores how these mindsets impacted students’ learning and how altering the author’s teaching strategies contributed to fostering mindsets conducive to student engagement.