2026 Theses Doctoral

Sustained Engagement and Motivation in Young Children Learning String Instruments

Little, Erin K.

The opportunity to learn an instrument can be an exciting milestone in a young child’s life. Yet the considerable time and effort required to sustain this pursuit often result in many students quitting. This study examines the factors that support young children’s continued engagement with a string instrument after the initial novelty has subsided. Guided by Deci and Ryan’s (1985) self-determination theory and Csikszentmihalyi’s (1990) flow theory, this qualitative instrumental case study investigates the lived experiences of six third-grade musicians in an after-school orchestra program at a Jewish day school in Los Angeles, California.

Recognizing children as “experts and agents in their own lives” (Clark & Moss, 2011), the study employs multimodal semi-structured interviews, a mini-lesson teaching activity, an arts-based drawing prompt, and flow observations of group rehearsals to center children’s perspectives. Findings revealed six themes: meaningful connection through musical engagement, self-directed musicianship, navigating the joys and struggles of learning, the role of family in supporting persistence, flow as a dynamic system of skill and social connection, and the challenges of navigating a digital world.

Together, these findings suggest that children’s motivation is best understood not as a fixed intrinsic–extrinsic dichotomy, but as a dynamic continuum shaped by autonomy, competence, relatedness, cultural resonance, and the broader learning environment (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Implications are offered for music educators and parents seeking to support young children in developing sustainable, joyful, and identity-affirming relationships with their instruments.