The Impact of Improvisational Chinese Bamboo Flute course on Music Self-Efficacy in Freshman Music Students
Abstract
This study examines the impact of an improvisational bamboo flute course on the music performance self-efficacy of first-year music majors, specifically targeting their confidence in musical abilities. Using the Music Performance Self-Efficacy Scale (MPSES), students' self-efficacy was measured across four dimensions—mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and physiological/emotional states—before and after the 12-week course. Results demonstrated a significant increase in self-efficacy, primarily in mastery and vicarious experience, as students gained confidence through hands-on practice and observational learning. Although changes in social persuasion and physiological/emotional states were modest, the overall improvement highlights the effectiveness of improvisational methods in building musical self-efficacy. These findings suggest that incorporating improvisational techniques with traditional instruments like the bamboo flute can strengthen self-efficacy in music training. Limitations, such as sample size and duration, are acknowledged, providing direction for future studies on the extended benefits of improvisational music education.
References
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Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
De Lima, B. (2018). Improvisation and music education: Beyond the classroom. Critical Studies in Improvisation, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.21083/csieci.v12i1.4086
Green, L., & Celkan, G. (2014). A very crucial turning point in one’s life: College/university choice. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 990–995. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.333
Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(2), 348–362. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348
Hu, M. (2024). Delving into the structural model of students’ music performance anxiety, self-efficacy, and motivation based on a self-determination theory. Learning and Motivation, 87, 102011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2024.102011
Kaleńska-Rodzaj, J. (2020). Music performance anxiety and pre-performance emotions in the light of psychology of emotion and emotion regulation. Psychology of Music, 49(6), 1758–1774. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735620961154
Lewis, M., Weight, E., & Hendricks, K. (2021). Teaching methods that foster self-efficacy belief: Perceptions of collegiate musicians from the United States. Psychology of Music, 50(3), 878–894. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356211026744
Maratos, A., Crawford, M. J., & Procter, S. (2011). Music therapy for depression: it seems to work, but how? The British Journal of Psychiatry, 199(2), 92–93. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.110.087494
Marik, M., & Stegemann, T. (2016). Introducing a new model of emotion dysregulation with implications for everyday use of music and music therapy. Musicae Scientiae, 20(1), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.1177/1029864915622055
McCormick, J., & McPherson, G. (2003). The role of self-efficacy in a musical performance examination: An exploratory structural equation analysis. Psychology of Music, 31(1), 37–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735603031001322
Meadows, A., & Wimpenny, K. (2017). Core themes in music therapy clinical improvisation: An arts-informed qualitative research synthesis. Journal of Music Therapy, 54(2), 161–195. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/thx006
Papageorgi, I. (2021). Typologies of adolescent musicians and experiences of performance anxiety among instrumental learners. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 645993. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645993
Skinner, K., Ashley, K., & Ahonen, H. (2021). Bruscia’s clinical techniques for improvisational music therapy in autism research: A scoping review. Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy, 13(2), 162–177. https://doi.org/10.56883/aijmt.2021.139
Vlachová, Z. (2022). Means of musical dialogues and reciprocity: Improvisational music therapy for social interaction of a preschool child with autism spectrum disorder. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v22i2.3191
Volstad, C., Hughes, J., Jakubec, S. L., Flessati, S., Jackson, L., & Martin-Misener, R. (2020). “You have to be okay with okay”: Experiences of flourishing among university students transitioning directly from high school. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2020.1834259
Whitener, J. L., & Shu, F. (2018). Sharing global musics: An introduction to the music of China. Music Educators Journal, 105(2), 18–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0027432118811587
Wigram, T. (2004). Improvisation: Methods and techniques for music therapy clinicians, educators, and students. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Zelenak, M. S. (2020). Developing self-efficacy to improve music achievement. Music Educators Journal, 107(2), 42–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/0027432120950812
Zelenak, M. S., & Hollins, D. M. (2010). Development and validation of the music performance self-efficacy scale. Music Education Research International. http://cmer.arts.usf.edu/content/articlefiles/3122-MERI04pp31-43.pdf
Zhang, M., Ding, Y., Zhang, J., Jiang, X., Xu, N., Zhang, L., & Yu, W. (2022). Effect of group impromptu music therapy on emotional regulation and depressive symptoms of college students: A randomized controlled study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.851526
Published
2024-12-01
How to Cite
ZHEN, Jiang; HUI MIN, Low.
The Impact of Improvisational Chinese Bamboo Flute course on Music Self-Efficacy in Freshman Music Students.
International Journal of Advanced Research in Education and Society, [S.l.], v. 6, n. 4, p. 339-349, dec. 2024.
ISSN 2682-8138.
Available at: <https://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/ijares/article/view/28455>. Date accessed: 16 may 2025.
Section
English Section
