The beliefs of preservice music teachers about musical ability and music learning

TThe purpose of this study is to answer three main problems. First, it was aimed to determine the levels of preservice music teachers' beliefs about musical ability and learning music. Second, it was aimed to obtain information about whether the levels of preservice music teachers' beliefs about musical ability and learning music differ significantly with respect to the year in the program, gender, age, individual instrument, school type and parents education. Finally, it was aimed to investigate whether there is any relationship between the preservice music teachers beliefs about musical ability and beliefs about music learning. Data of the study was collected via two scales developed by Biasutti (2010). First of these scales was Music Abilities Beliefs Questionnaire (MABQ), the other scale was Music Learning Beliefs Questionnaire (MLBQ). The scales were adapted into Turkish by using committee translation approach. Then, a pilot study was conducted to establish the reliability and the validity of the instruments. Data from fourty percent of the sample was used for the pilot study. Factor analysis was used to establish the construct validity of the scales. The results of the study showed that the levels of preservice music teachers' beliefs about musical ability and music learning were high. It was found that there were significant differences among the beliefs of preservice music teachers with respect to the year in the program, gender, age, individual instrument, the geographic area, school type and parent education. In addition findings of thes study was discussed in relation to musical ability, music learning and music education. . KEYWORDS: Musical ability, Music learning, Music education, Belief