Dialogues on autonomy, competence and relatedness: A duoethnographic exploration of music education

Questions surrounding motivation, participation and meaningful engagement are prominent in contemporary Music education. Through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT) this article explores how the identified psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness are experienced and enacted in music education. This is across contrasting settings of the United Kingdom and the United States. Chris Ricketts and Stephen Cox engage in duoethnographic reflexive dialogue to examine curriculum, assessment and classroom practice across these different settings. The interconnected nature of these psychological needs highlight the tensions between student agency and institutional expectations. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing debates surrounding agency, participation and musical engagemement in contemporary music education.