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Complex Beginnings: Initial formal engagement in sport and music

Complex Beginnings: Initial formal engagement in sport and music. Susan Beltman Curtin University of Technology S.Beltman@curtin.edu.au. Background. Nature-nurture; person-context debate (Barab & Plucker, 2002; Howe, Davidson & Sloboda, 1998)

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Complex Beginnings: Initial formal engagement in sport and music

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  1. Complex Beginnings: Initial formal engagement in sport and music Susan Beltman Curtin University of Technology S.Beltman@curtin.edu.au

  2. Background • Nature-nurture; person-context debate (Barab & Plucker, 2002; Howe, Davidson & Sloboda, 1998) • Importance of quality programs and structured, deliberate individual practice (Ericsson, 1996) • Sociocultural approach to development of motivational constructs such as interest (Pressick-Kilborn & Walker, 2004) • Motivation seen as engagement, participation and persistence

  3. Extra research • family and friends: important role in initial engagement in domains such as sport, music, drama, dance + art (Davidson et al., 1997; Patrick et al., 1999) • sport talent identification programs should not be based solely on presence of individual physical and psychological characteristics; deliberate practice + other domain activities crucial for elite athletes (Helsen et al, 2000; Williams & Reilly, 2000) • in development of musical skills, individual cognitive ability alone is insufficient; motivational, social and educational factors also involved (O'Neill, 1997)

  4. Research questions • What characteristics of persons and of contexts are important in engagement in sport and music? • What is the nature of the interrelationship between these characteristics?

  5. Participants

  6. Method • Two interviews over 12 months • Time-Line Task in Interview 1 • Asked how they started in sport and music • Asked to describe major activities and involvement during preschool (0-5), primary(6-12), secondary(13-17), early adult (18-21) and later adult (21+) years

  7. Personal factors a) Interest, aptitude or preference expressed or demonstrated b) Willingness to accept invitation/openness to alternatives c) Physical characteristics including age

  8. Contextual factors (family/friends; community/school) a) Environment conducive to sport or music b) Invitation or recognition and acting on expressed interest, aptitude or preference c) Resources available and provided to support individual’s involvement

  9. Person-Context Matrix Contextual Factors

  10. Initial engagement with sport or music • Tania: “I was musical”; gifts of toy instruments and parents offered violin • Theresa: wanted to learn; family and school supported learning violin, piano and cello • Christine: minkey available when too young for hockey • Brad: “obsessed” with football; brothers played with him

  11. Change of focus • Mary: tried many different sports available in high school and university • Brett: looking for alternative; sister and coach introduced to rowing • Jon: couldn’t play flute but accepted teacher offer of clarinet • Moira: loved sports but not suited until friend invited to row

  12. Reciprocal Person-Context Relationship • Individuals make appraisals of themselves + specific sports or instruments and related communities • If positive then engagement occurs • Contexts also appraise individuals • If positive then interest cultivated, invitations made or resources and support provided

  13. Dynamic Person-Context Relationship • As individuals developed physically, met new peers and entered different contexts, interests and abilities changed and new opportunities and resources became available • Over half the participants changed their major focus

  14. Issues • Issues associated with self-reports (Galbo & Mayer Demtrulias, 1996) • e.g. Data focused on participants’ recollected reasons for initial engagement; need corroboration from parents, teachers etc • But also a strength – rich data (de Groot, 2002; Lemos, 2001)

  15. Overall findings • Personal and contextual factors operated in a reciprocal, dynamic way to shape engagement in sport and music • Same factors relevant for initial engagement and change of focus • Relative importance or presence of each factor different for different individuals

  16. Consistent with other Research • Importance of interest in engagement, involvement and persistence (e.g. Ainley et al, 2003; Pekrun et al, 2002) • Need to consider physical factors in motivation (Williams & Reilly, 2000) • Importance of family in development of talent (Freeman, 2000; Sloane, 1985) • Importance of considering individual situations in motivation (e.g. Hallam, 1997; Lemos, 2001; MacCallum, 1997)

  17. Implications for other domains • exploration of relationship between personal and contextual characteristics in areas such as homework, subject selection, workplace satisfaction could provide an understanding of people’s level of engagement in these activities • consideration of the whole person in multiple contexts needed to fully understand motivation – that includes initial engagement (MacCallum, 2001a, 2001b; Mansfield, 2004)

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