Investigation of music student efficacy as influenced by age, experience, gender, ethnicity, and type of instrument played in South Carolina

The purpose of this research study was to quantitatively examine South Carolina high school instrumental music students’ self-efficacy as measured by the Generalized Self-Efficacy (GSE) instrument (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1993). The independent variables of age, experience, gender, ethnicity, and type of instrument played) were correlated with the dependent variable of self-efficacy for South Carolina music students in the 2008–2009 school year. A total of 109 surveys were completed from 800 participants solicited (i.e., 13.6% survey response rate). There were no statistically significant relationships between the music experience and self-efficacy; and no statistically significant differences in self-efficacy as delineated by gender or ethnicity.