Examining Relationships Among Concert Band Directors’ Efficacious Sources, Self-Efficacy for Teaching Strategies, and Effective Teaching Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent that concert band directors’ self-efficacy for teaching strategies was influenced by its four sources: mastery experiences, verbal persuasions, vicarious experiences, and physiological state. A secondary purpose was to investigate possible relationships between directors’ self-efficacy and self-perceptions of effective teaching. Participants were high school concert band directors ( N = 610). They responded to the Concert Band Directors’ Self-Efficacy for Teaching Strategies Scale, Sources of Self-Efficacy for Concert Band Teaching Scale, and a scale for effective teaching abilities. Directors’ self-efficacy for teaching strategies were influenced most by mastery experiences, followed by verbal persuasions, physiological state, and vicarious experiences. Participants’ self-efficacy scores associated with their experience level and the influence of each source on self-efficacy differed between early-, mid-, and late-career directors. Furthermore, participants who reported greater self-efficacy for teaching strategies also rated themselves as more confident for using effective teaching skills.

High School Band Directors’ Perceptions and Applications of Democratic Rehearsal Procedures in Concert Band Rehearsals

“…A reminder email was sent a week after the initial distribution. This sampling procedure and the distribution process were consistent with a previous investigation of concert band directors' perceptions and experiences (Regier, 2020).…”

High School Jazz Band Directors’ Efficacious Sources, Self-Efficacy for Teaching Strategies, and Pedagogical Behaviors

“…Among instrumental and vocal music teachers, self-perceived social skills and musical ability predicted self-efficacy (Biasutti & Concina, 2018). Furthermore, Regier (2020) found that highly efficacious concert band directors scored their confidence for using effective teaching skills higher than did low-efficacy directors, including skills associated with teacher intensity (Madsen et al, 1992). Overall, the strength of music teachers' efficacious beliefs appears to relate with important professional dispositions and pedagogical behaviors.…”

“…Alternatively, follow-up feedback after the same teaching strategy demonstration improved participants' efficacious beliefs and implementation of the new teaching strategy. Among concert band directors, observational experiences had no significant influence on self-efficacy for teaching strategies, which could indicate a need for support that improves teaching strategy implementation after observations (Regier, 2020). Similar needs for follow-up discussions or reflections (Prichard, 2017) and contextual guidance (Conway, 2012) after observational experiences have been discussed for preservice music teachers.…”

“…Just as prior success with a task can improve efficacy, prior challenges can influence it negatively. As a result of experiencing impactful teaching moments, concert band directors' self-efficacy for teaching strategies was predicted best by mastery teaching experiences across early-, mid-, and late-career stages (Regier, 2020). Accumulating mastery experiences can aid in the development of a resilient sense of efficacy and lead to greater effort and persistence for helping students (Tschannen-Moran & Johnson, 2011), whereas unsuccessful attempts to accomplish a task can decrease motivation (Tschannen-Moran et al, 1998).…”

“…Self-efficacious general education teachers who felt supported in their work set higher standards for students' academic performance than low-efficacy teachers (Woolfolk-Hoy et al, 2008). Among concert band directors, verbal persuasions significantly predicted self-efficacy for teaching strategies and impacted late-career directors more than early-and midcareer directors (Regier, 2020). Similarly, K-12 music teachers who reported positive administrative and parental support were more committed to the profession (Hancock, 2008).…”