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 to learn 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 learning piano. The researcher as a teacher has prepared for this research by designing research methodology into 2 parts using mixed method in order to obtain data and ways of involvement. In collecting data, the researcher 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 for general people at Siam Paragon Branch and Seacon Square Branch for 159 persons in order to obtain personal data of parents and opinions and behavior of involvement of parents. For Part 2, the researcher used focus group by inviting 2 representatives of parents who had sent their children to learn piano in group, 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 agreed with 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 the behavior 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 parental involvement 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 piano better. Also, it is the foundation in promoting good relationship among family members and encouraging young children to love music and to succeed in music in the future.