Play-based approach and music education: Investigating early childhood teachers' self-efficacy in content and pedagogical knowledge for implementing musical play

The benefits of play-based learning in early childhood education are well-documented in research, with musical play emerging as a key component of global early childhood music curricula. In Hong Kong, the government has mandated that "learning through play" should be central to the early childhood curriculum, including music education. Previous studies have highlighted preschool teachers' low self-efficacy in teaching music. While Bandura’s self-efficacy theory emphasizes that the development of self-efficacy is context-specific, studies on teachers’ self-efficacy in the specific context of musical play are rare, despite the unique content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge it requires. This study aims to investigate preschool teachers' self-efficacy in implementing a play-based approach in music education, focusing on both the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge necessary for facilitating musical play. Based on Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, we developed the Self-Efficacy Scale for Teaching Musical Play (SESTMP) and conducted a survey among preschool teachers in Hong Kong. We applied descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, linear regression analyses, and Spearman’s correlation analyses. Our findings revealed that teachers’ self-efficacy in facilitating musical play was only at a moderate level, despite the current policy emphasis on play-based learning. Teachers reported slightly lower self-efficacy in content knowledge compared to pedagogical content knowledge. Specifically, teachers expressed low self-efficacy in areas such as playing musical instruments, improvisation, and leading drama activities during musical play. The study identified two significant predictors of self-efficacy in teaching musical play: (1) having learned to play a musical instrument, and (2) having received non-instrumental music training. Participants who had learned to play an instrument demonstrated significantly higher self-efficacy in both content and pedagogical content knowledge than those who had not. Interestingly, years of teaching experience in early childhood education did not significantly predict teachers’ self-efficacy in facilitating musical play, suggesting that simply accumulating experience may not be sufficient to enhance self-efficacy in this particular area. This study has important implications for teacher educators, professional development providers, and school administrators in early childhood education, both in Hong Kong and internationally. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the factors that may influence teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and the competencies needed to implement musical play effectively. Targeted preservice teacher education and professional development initiatives should focus on cultivating the specific content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge necessary for facilitating musical play, particularly in areas where teachers reported low self-efficacy.