Chinese adolescents' experiences of performance confidence and anxiety and the role of instrumental teacher support.

Authors

Yaxin Zhang, Naomi Norton

Published in

Frontiers in psychology. Volume 17. Pages 1881466. Epub Aug 03, 2026.

Abstract

This study explores adolescents' experiences of performance confidence and anxiety, particularly focusing on their perceptions of instrumental teacher support in relation to confidence-building and anxiety management in the Chinese context.
A total of 144 adolescents aged 12-18 completed an online survey that included the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory for Adolescents (K-MPAI-A) and open-ended questions regarding help-seeking behaviors and perceived instrumental teacher support.
Most adolescents had experienced performance-related worry, nervousness, or anxiety, and over half of those who had such experiences reported engaging in help-seeking and perceived at least some level of instrumental teacher support for building confidence and managing anxiety. Results of the K-MPAI-A indicate low to moderate overall scores in this sample with cognitive concerns scoring higher than the other dimensions. Older age was positively associated with higher K-MPAI-A scores, whereas adolescents' perceptions of instrumental teachers providing support were negatively associated with reports of K-MPAI-A scores. Self-reported music grades were also negatively associated with K-MPAI-A scores indicating a significant group difference showing that beginner to intermediate pupils reported higher scores than those who classified themselves as advanced to highly advanced. Open-ended responses indicate that adolescents' help-seeking behaviors are shaped by perceived need, trust in teachers' expertise, teacher-student relationships, and concerns about judgment or embarrassment. The types of teacher support reported include cognitive management skills, preparation and practice, physical relaxation, and emotional encouragement.
The findings highlight the role of instrumental teachers in supporting adolescents' performance confidence and anxiety management in the Chinese instrumental learning context.

PMID:
42609447
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 18 Aug 2026.

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