Learning Environments, Goal Orientations, and Interest in Music

Abstract

This study is an examination of relationships among family background, family and school learning environments, goal orientations, and students' interest in music. Data were collected from 18-year-old black South African students, 340 women and 285 men, whose main language was Isi Xhosa. Findings indicated that when family background was defined conjointly by family social status and parents' aspirations, (a) family background, gender, family and school learning environments, and goal orientations combined to have medium associations with students' interest in music, (b) relationships among learning environments, goal orientations, and students' interest in music varied for students with different family backgrounds, and (c) the learning environment and goal-orientation variables partially accounted for the relationships between family background, gender, and students' interest in music.