Racial and Ethnic Difference in Music Performance Self-Efficacy Among Undergraduate Students

Musical self-efficacy is an area that has been studied in areas such as music performance (McCormick & McPherson, 2000; Zelenak, 2011) and music achievement (Zelenak, 2019). McPherson and McCormick (2006) conclude that the relationship between music self-efficacy and music performance is significant. With this understanding, the present study will determine if there is a significant difference by race or ethnicity in music performance self-efficacy among undergraduate students. Researchers have long reported the need for additional racially diverse studies in educational research with newer studies needed in music. Using the Music Performance Self-Efficacy Scale (MPSES), African-American, Caucasian, and Mixed responded to a series of questions about their self-efficacy for music performance. Participants also completed the College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES), indicating their self-efficacy for academic-related tasks and behaviors. Finally, basic demographic information was collected and used as categories to analyze the data. A MANOVA revealed a significant (p \u3c .001) difference in the MPSES by race but not ethnicity. Pearson’s r showed the strongest correlation between the CASES and Vicarious Experiences on the MPSES. The multiple regression showed that “race” was the most significant predictor of one’s score on the MPSES, followed by “Years of Private Instruction.” The data suggest that African-American undergraduate students have a lower degree of self-efficacy for music performance than their peers, which may be due to systemic educational issues, such as equal opportunity and equitability of resources