Parental Involvement in the Development of Young Piano Students

Abstract

With the goal to develop ways of parental involvement that is suitable in promoting young student tolearn piano, and to understand the attitude of Thai parents who send their children to learn piano ingroup, and to know the roles and duties of Thai parents’ involvement with their children in learningpiano. The researcher as a teacher has prepared for this research by designing research methodology into2 parts using mixed method in order to obtain data and ways of involvement. In collecting data, theresearcher used questionnaire designed by the researcher in collecting data on opinions and behavior ofparental involvement who send their children to learn piano in group of the musical study program forgeneral people at Siam Paragon Branch and Seacon Square Branch for 159 persons in order to obtainpersonal data of parents and opinions and behavior of involvement of parents. For Part 2, the researcherused focus group by inviting 2 representatives of parents who had sent their children to learn piano ingroup, 5 representatives of teachers, and 1 music educator to participate in the discussion on ways ofparental involvement. It was found from the research that parents who answer the questionnaire agreedwith the parental involvement in promoting their children in learning piano with the behavior of support,motivation, goal-setting, and expectation of parents as well as parent-teacher interaction, that is consistentwith the result of research by arranging focus group. Representatives from all sides consider that thebehavior of support, motivation, goal-setting, and expectation of parents as well as parent-teacher interactionreally promote the young children in learning piano. The focus group considered that parentalinvolvement in young children is necessary because the young children cannot control themselves alone.Various behaviors of parents in participation would help support the young children in learning pianobetter. Also, it is the foundation in promoting good relationship among family members and encouragingyoung children to love music and to succeed in music in the future.Key words: parental support, motivation, expectation beliefs, music learning process