The effective music teacher: The influence of personal, social, and cognitive dimensions on music teacher self-efficacy

The profile of an effective instrumental and vocal music teacher includes many personal and professional dimensions. Among them, teacher self-efficacy plays a key role and influences the evaluation of music teachers’ effectiveness. Recent studies have identified several factors that affect one’s self-assessment of efficacy. However, a comprehensive model of the predictors of music teachers’ self-efficacy still does not exist. The aim of the current study was to identify factors that affect music teacher self-efficacy using a quantitative approach. Three self-report questionnaires were administered to 160 instrumental and vocal music teachers in Italy. Data about their beliefs on musical ability, teacher self-efficacy, and social skills were collected to define a predictive model of teachers’ self-efficacy using a stepwise regression analysis. In addition, an ANOVA was performed to examine group differences in music teacher self-efficacy and intercorrelations among questionnaire scales were computed. The findings have shown that a general score of music teacher self-efficacy can be predicted by a multidimensional model, including music teachers’ personal and professional traits, such as social skills, beliefs about musical ability, teaching experience, and gender. Moreover, differences in specific aspects of teacher self-efficacy emerged in relation to participants’ gender and level of expertise. The impact of these results on music teachers’ education is discussed.