Prediction of self-perceived performance ability among junior high students through the relationship of musical aptitude and success

Abstract

This study's central purpose was to develop selection devices for junior high instructors to use in building confident performance groups. An additional purpose was to help the instructor to understand learning potentials of individual participants in order to provide a sufficient music program.

Instructors faced with deciding who participates in a musical performance group must look at various attributes of the participants. One such attribute, self-perceived performance ability, was defined as an indicator of potential talent. How one anticipates he/she will perform, known as expectancy for success, and musical aptitude defined as one's potential capabilities in music regardless of innate ability or formal training, were selected as predictors of self-perceived performance ability by the investigator. These were used as selection devices and aids in identifying individual capabilities. The testing devices chosen for this task were Gordon's (1965) Musical Aptitude Profile, which measured musical aptitude; Fibel and Hale's (1978) Generalized Expectancy for Success Scale measured the success variable, and the criterion variable, self-perceived performance ii ability, was measured by the investigator's own tool Musical Performance Confidence Scale (MPCS).

Students in three rural Eastern Kansas schools were administered the MAP, GESS, and the MPCS for three consecutive weeks, the same day, same time each week.

The statistical design for this study consisted of the summary statistics, mean and standard deviation, zero-order correlations among variables, and a multiple regression analysis.

The summary statistics revealed School Three's superiority among the three variables which suggested perhaps the class instruction paralleled the measurement of the tests more than the other two schools. Differences in test administration, attitude, motivation, class instruction or presence of fewer extreme scores could account for this variability.

The statistical evidence from the correlations and regression equation were low and allowed little explanatory power in the model. Weaknesses determined from these low relationships were: (1) MPCS designed to measure only performance tendencies not actual ability; and (2) the success variable was too generalized, not specific enough to measure musically.

Recommendations for further research or replication include the following: an attitude measurement regarding musical ability should be developed to indicate any differences iii in environment or cultural background; a musical ability rating scale of actual performances could provide stability in measuring musical ability; and an investigation to determine the possibilities of combing these notions for use as objective selection devices for performance groups.