Headline
I’m investigating how self-discipline can be taught in 1-to-1 popular music lessons so 11–13-year-olds become more independent learners.
Dateline
London, UK • PhD in progress
The story
In popular music education, students often feel motivated in the lesson… but the real challenge begins after the lesson. Practising alone is where many learners get stuck, lose momentum, or slowly disconnect. My research explores how teachers help students develop the internal skills to keep going, not through pressure, but through structured support that protects autonomy.
This project treats self-discipline as something teachable and relational, shaped through pedagogy and the teacher–student dynamic. I’m exploring what teachers actually do, moment by moment, to build habits, focus, and persistence, and how those teaching moves can be made visible, describable, and transferable to other teachers.
Key question
How can self-discipline be effectively taught in one-to-one popular music instrument lessons to students aged 11 to 13 in the UK?
What I’m looking for
- how teachers structure practice without taking control
- how they model, co-regulate, and gradually hand responsibility over
- how routines, feedback, and goal-setting support long-term engagement
- how students interpret discipline as autonomy, not obedience
Why 11–13 matters
Because this is a decisive moment for motivation, confidence, and independence. It’s often where habits stick or break.
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