The effect of concert experience on pre-school teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs in music education

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of concert experience on the music self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service preschool teachers. The research was conducted within the framework of an experimental design, a quantitative research method. The study group consisted of 207 preservice preschool teachers selected via the purposive sampling method, a non-random sampling technique, all of whom were enrolled in the “Music Education in Early Childhood” course during the 2024–2025 academic year at Balıkesir University, Gazi University, Atatürk University (Erzurum), Yozgat Bozok University, and Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University. The experimental group consisted of pre-service teachers who had attended a concert, while the control group comprised those who had not. Data were collected using the Music Education Self-Efficacy Belief Scale for Pre-Service Preschool Teachers developed by Yıldız (2017). One-way ANOVA and independent samples t-tests were employed for data analysis. The findings revealed that the music self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service preschool teachers differed significantly according to the universities they attended. Additionally, it was found that the music self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers who had participated in a concert were statistically significantly higher than those of their peers who had not participated in a concert. The results indicate that concert experience strengthens pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in the field of music. Accordingly, it is recommended that music education courses in undergraduate preschool teacher education programs be structured with a greater emphasis on practical experience and that experiential learning opportunities, such as concerts, be increased.