| This study investigates common trends and individual differences in children's practice according to six dimensions of self-regulation. Seven children, aged between 7 and 9 years at the beginning of the study, regularly videotaped their practice over a 3-year period. Behavioural coding addressed the content of practice, the nature of errors and off-task behaviours, and the interaction of family members. Low levels of self-regulatory behaviour, as evidenced in the children's ability to monitor and control their own learning, were found during practice. Learning strategies were confined almost exclusively to playing through pieces once or twice. Most errors were either ignored or corrected by repeating one or two notes. Results show that self-regulatory processes vary widely between students, even from the very early stages of musical development, and help to explain why some learners develop their performance skills quickly while others struggle. Implications for music education and future research are discussed. |
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