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Sounding Success

The power of a goal

By Jessie Peterson, Kannapolis Middle School Band Director 

Image credit by Bea Cerojano on sparklestroke 

Social cognitive theory, developed by Albert Bandura, explains how human learning and behavior are influenced by the interaction of environmental and cognitive factors (Schunk, Meece, & Pintrich, 2024). In the band classroom, this theory fosters student motivation, goal setting, and self-efficacy–confidence in their ability to succeed. 

Goal Setting and Self-Efficacy 

Goal setting and self-efficacy are the processes at the core of social cognitive theory (Schunk, Meece, & Pintrich, 2024). When students set clear, attainable goals, they become more motivated to engage in activities that can help them achieve them. 

In a band classroom, this could be improving rhythmic accuracy, practicing a challenging piece of music, or mastering scale.

For example, a student wanting to improve their sight-reading skills might be more enthusiastic to participate in exercises to strengthen that ability. As students observe their progress, their self-efficacy grows. As a result, this increased self-belief enhances their motivation and encourages them to pursue new, more challenging goals. Research shows that specific, achievable, and moderately challenging goals promote the most motivational benefits (Schunk, Meece, &Pintrich, 2024).

Within the band setting, group and individual goals are important. When students set personal goals, they enhance their autonomy over the learning process.Similarly, setting ensemble goals, such as preparing for performances, fosters a sense of shared responsibility and collective self-efficacy. It’s essential that these goals are collaborative and that every band member feels a valued responsibility for the group’s success.

Encouraging Self-Set Goals in the Band Classroom 

Self-set goals are a vital principle of social cognitive theory (Schunk, Meece, &Pintrich, 2024). As students advance toward their goals, their sense of autonomy and self-efficacy increase because they view themselves as agents of their success. This can be particularly empowering in the band classroom as students balance individual musicianship and ensemble performance.

As band directors, we can guide our students in setting long and short-term goals. These goals may include mastering a new piece of music, improving their intonation within the ensemble, or learning honor band audition material. Once the goals are established, we can help them develop strategic action plans to break down these large tasks into manageable steps. Specific, constructive feedback will help reinforce students’ self-efficacy and motivation by helping them understand how their efforts contribute to their progress.

The goals students set must be within their zone of proximal development, where they are challenging but attainable (Schunk, Meece, & Pintrich, 2024). The role of the band director is to facilitate this process and offer guidance, resources, and support, but the ownership of the goals remains with the students.

Fostering Lifelong Learning 

Setting goals and fostering self-efficacy improve students’ performance in the band classroom, and we also promote lifelong learning skills. When students feel in control of their learning process, they are more likely to persist through challenges and set future goals after achieving their initial ones. This growth mindset views effort and perseverance as the pathways to success. 

Incorporating social cognitive theory in the band classroom can create an environment where students are motivated to take ownership of their progress. By encouraging goal setting, we can empower students to become more confident musicians and lifelong learners.

References Schunk, D. H., Meece, J. L., & Pintrich, P.R. (2014). Motivation in education: Theory, Research and Applications. Pearson.


Contributing Expert

Jessie Peterson is the band director at Kannapolis Middle School in Kannapolis, NC. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Appalachian State University (2017) and a Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of North Carolina Greensboro (2021), she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning at Clemson University. 


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