Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Motivation and Solo Performance among Students in Higher Music Education in Serbia

Motivation is highly important for participation in musical activities and achievement. In the context of higher music education (HME) Serbia, we sought to examine relationship between students’ solo performance opportunities two key components Self-Determination Theory (STD) – basic psychological needs (Competence, Relatedness Autonomy) motivational regulation styles (Amotivation, External, Introjected negative, positive, Identified, Intrinsic). The convenient sample 197 HME students (performing modules; Mage = 23.88, SD 3.4) completed inventories: Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Frustration Scale (BPNSFS; Chen et al., 2015) Relative Autonomy Index Questionnaire (RAI-SRQ; Sheldon 2017); they also provided data on frequency performances during HME. results indicate that our participants’ are met, with need being significantly less satisfied more frustrated than remaining needs. motivation could be described as predominantly autonomous Identified or Intrinsic. Fulfilment/frustration predicted likelihood public performances, Amotivation External significant predictors. Our findings suggest external likely have performances. line STD’s postulates, seen a reflection dominant approaches discussed such.