THE REASONS CITED BY LATINO STUDENTS FOR THEIR DISCONTINUATION IN BAND AFTER THE FIRST YEAR

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the reasons cited by Latino students for their discontinuation in band after the first year of instruction. Participants (N = 10) were middle school students enrolled in the Olathe Public School District in Olathe, Kansas. Using a phenomenological approach, data were collected through two focus group sessions led by the researcher. Focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a two-cycle coding process. Findings indicate that students attribute five primary themes to their discontinuation in band after the first year: Personal Cost, Social Cost, Monetary Cost, Denial of Choice, and Teacher Effectiveness. The first three themes, Personal, Social, and Monetary Cost, were examined through the lens of Eccles’s Expectancy-Value Theory Framework (1983). The fourth theme, Denial of Choice, is discussed as it relates to the idea of Autonomy versus Control in education. The fifth theme, Teacher Effectiveness, addresses issues related to classroom management, the student/teacher relationship, and teaching methods. Recommendations are presented to assist educators with their Latino student retention efforts.