Course Entry Affect and Its Relationship to Course Grade in Music Education and Music Therapy Classes

Abstract

The relationship of affective entry characteristics to final course grade and the effects on these of professional or preprofessional courses, student grade point average, and the students' major were studied. Analyses of 563 data sets of students enrolled in 35 music education and music therapy courses suggest that final course grade has little relationship to students' initial course-affective perceptions. Overall, professional courses and students simultaneously pursuing both music education and music therapy degrees produced higher affect scores and the greatest amount of perceived career relevance in the courses. The music education majors indicated less positive affect and career relevance toward their courses than other majors. In all majors, students desired lecture-presentation formats less in professional courses.