Examining the relationship between self-efficacy, career development, and subjective wellbeing in physical education students.

We investigated the relationship between self-efficacy and career development via subjective well-being of students majoring in physical education. Life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect were the componennts of subjective well-being. Participants were the 1381 adolescents with major in physical education with an age range of 18-22 years (Mage = 19.5 ± 1; females = 34.76%). Hayes PROCESS model was used to develop a multiple mediation model. The results suggest that higher self-efficacy leads to better career development. Further, a significant mediating role was played by negative and positive affect in case of the relationship between self-efficacy and career exploration, but life-satisfaction is not significant mediator. Conversely, life satisfaction and positive affect are significant mediators between self-efficacy and career adaptability but negative affect is not. The findings suggest that self-efficacy and subjective well-being benefit career development of adolescents in the physical education field.

Building community through higher music education: a training program for facilitating musical engagement among older adults.

Preparing music students to design and carry out community-based initiatives can be an effective way to enhance their employability and their wellbeing. With a large body of evidence now pointing to the benefits of musical engagement for older adults, both for individuals and for society as a whole, there is considerable opportunity and value in training aspiring professional musicians to work with and on behalf of those in their third and fourth age. This article describes a seminar designed by a Swiss conservatoire in collaboration with local nursing homes involving residents and music university students in a 10-week group music making program. On the basis of the positive results to emerge in terms of health, wellbeing and career preparation, we aim to provide information relevant for colleagues to replicate this seminar in other higher music education institutions. Moreover, this paper aims to shed light on the complexity of designing music students' training so that they acquire the competences needed to deliver meaningful, community-based initiatives alongside their other professional training commitments, and to provide directions for future research. The development and implementation of these points could foster the increase and sustainability of innovative programs beneficial for older adults, musicians and local communities.

E-learning during the COVID-19 lockdown: An interview study with primary school music teachers in Italy.

The present article provides an in-depth look at the strategies and practices developed by a cohort of primary school music teachers in Italy to deliver online music lessons during the COVID-19 lockdown. We used a qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews to bring out our participants' voices and reflections in a very personal manner and examine their perspectives on issues important to their profession and daily work. We were interested in investigating which practices and strategies were used or developed to deal with the difficulties and positive aspects characterising their experiences as teachers during the lockdown period. A focus was put on lesson planning, time management, student involvement, and information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Qualitative data were analysed using an inductive method based on grounded theory, giving rise to the five following dimensions: classroom activities; the role of the school and staff members; teachers' interactions with children and their parents; positive outcomes; unresolved challenges. Participants discussed how they used ICT and managed their classes remotely, provided vivid descriptions of their professional relationships with colleagues and students, and reflected on the advantages and disadvantages of teaching music remotely, pointing to new ways to improve current teaching methodologies.

Challenges and understandings of creative practice in professional sport training.

We conducted a qualitative study involving twelve expert sports coaches to explore and compare the range of creative practices they adopted during their professional activities. Their written responses to open-ended questions highlighted different interrelated dimensions of creative engagement in coaching sport, suggesting that efforts to instil creativity may initially focus on an individual athlete; they may often span a range of behaviours dedicated to efficiency; they may involve significant degrees of freedom and trust; and they cannot be captured by a single defining feature. We contextualise these findings in the light of recent literature in sports studies, performance science and creativity research, providing concrete examples based on the written statements provided by our participants. We conclude by offering insights for future research and coaching practice that may be relevant in broader domains.

Processes and Experiences of Creative Cognition in Seven Western Classical Composers.

In a qualitative study, we explored the range of reflections and experiences involved in the composition of score-based music by administering a 15-item, open-ended, questionnaire to seven professional composers from Europe and North America. Adopting a grounded theory approach, we organized six different codes emerging from our data into two higher-order categories (the act of composing and establishing relationships). Our content analysis, inspired by the theoretical resources of 4E cognitive science, points to three overlapping characteristics of creative cognition in music composition: it is largely exploratory, it is grounded in bodily experience, and it emerges from the recursive dialogue of agents and their environment. More generally, such preliminary findings suggest that musical creativity may be advantageously understood as a process of constant adaptation - one in which composers enact their musical styles and identities by exploring novel interactivities hidden in their contingent and historical milieux.

Construction and Validation of the Research Misconduct Scale for Social Science University Students.

The current study aims to construct and validate a measure of research misconduct for social science university students. The research is comprised of three studies; Study I presents the scale construction in three phases. In Phase I, the initial pool of items was generated by reviewing the literature and considering the results of semi-structured interviews. Phase II involved a psychometric cleaning of items, after which 38 items were retained. In Phase III, those 38 items were proposed to 652 university students, and data were exposed to exploratory factor analysis, which extracted a one-factor structure with 15 items and 55.73% variance. Study II confirmed the factorial structure of the scale using an independent sample (N = 200) of university students. Confirmatory factor analysis of the scale demonstrates a good model fit to the data with the one-factor structure established through the exploratory factor analysis. The scale exhibits good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.95. Study III involves validation of the scale, with evidence for convergent validity collected from a sample of university students (N = 200). The results reveal that the research misconduct scale has significant positive correlations with academic stress and procrastination and a significant negative correlation with academic achievement. The obtained convergent validity testifies that the scale can be considered a psychometrically sound instrument to measure research misconduct among social science university students.

Achieving Flow: An Exploratory Investigation of Elite College Athletes and Musicians.

While studies on the characteristics of flow states and their relation to peak performance exist, little is known about the dynamics by which flow states emerge and develop over time. The current paper qualitatively explores the necessary pre-conditions to enter flow, and the development of flow over time until its termination. Using an elicitation interview, participants (10 athletes and 12 musicians) were asked to recall their flow experiences in sports or music performances. The analysis resulted in the identification of the following three phases that athletes and musicians experience during flow: (1) Preparation to enter flow; (2) Entry into the flow state and; (3) Exit from the flow state. These three phases are characterized by several sub-themes contributing to the experience of flow. The function of emotions is crucial, as they play a core role across all three phases and regulate flow over time. The findings provide insights into the phenomenological characteristics of the transition and maintenance of the three proposed phases and the temporal dynamics of flow.

Cognitive and Interpersonal Factors Affecting Social Adjustment of University Students in Pakistan.

Cognitive and interpersonal factors play an important role in the social adjustment of students. Factors affecting the social adjustment of university students have been verified in different cultures. However, no study has tested a concurrent model with the study variables in the Pakistani context. This study aimed to investigate the effect of personal and interpersonal factors on the social adjustment of university students in Pakistan. Three hundred participants from the Azad Jammu and Kashmir regions of Pakistan responded on a questionnaire package containing self-reported measures on social self-efficacy, social anxiety, teachers' social support, and peers' social support. The results indicate that self-efficacy, teachers' support, and peer support have a significant positive effect on the social adjustment of university students, suggesting that an enhanced self-efficacy, and increased teachers' and peers' support would increase social adjustment. However, academic anxiety is inversely associated with social adjustment, suggesting that a higher anxiety level would result in a reduction in social adjustment. Students should be given more opportunities to enhance self-efficacy, obtain social support, and reduce social anxiety.

Effects of Physical Activity and Mindfulness on Resilience and Depression During the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic.

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic generated a significant number of stressors that the Swiss population had to deal with. In order to cope with and adapt to such adversity, it is essential to have protective factors that allow for resilience. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of mindfulness and physical activity on depression and resilience during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A quantitative method was adopted asking participants who were engaged in physical activity or mindfulness to fill a battery of measures of depression and resilience and some demographic questions. The results showed that mindfulness practice strengthened the initial level of resilience of practitioners, suggesting that mindfulness meditation is a tool for coping with adversity during a potentially traumatic event. Conversely, physical activity practitioners maintained a stable resilience score over time, suggesting that exposure to adversity did not disrupt their state of biopsychospiritual homeostasis. Moreover, being physically active decreased the depression score over time. Regarding demographic variables, gender differences were observed in the average scores in the resilience scale and in the Depression Inventory.

Construction and Validation of Institutional Identity Scale for University Students.

The current study presents the validation process of a measure of institutional identity for university students. The research is composed of two studies. Study I consisted of the generation of an item pool based on the literature review, semi-structured interviews, and expert opinion, which were administered to a convenient sample of university students (n = 707; 300 males and 407 females) in Pakistan. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a two-factor structure with 20 items, and the factors were named commitment (α = 0.84) and crisis (α = 0.74). The two-factor solution was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis, which revealed an excellent model fit with the two-factor structure. Study II reports on the convergent and divergent validity of the scale which was carried out on an independent sample (n = 120). Results provided evidence of convergent validity as depression correlated negatively with the commitment subscale and positively with the crisis subscale. Divergent validity was ensured by a non-significant correlation between the subscales of the newly developed scale and a measure of religious belief. Moreover, the implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

Individual, Interpersonal, and Organizational Factors Affecting Physical Activity of School Adolescents in Pakistan.

The purpose of this study was to explore individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors that may influence the physical activity of adolescents (ages 10-14) in Pakistani schools. A set of questionnaires that included individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors and PA behavior was completed by the 618 students selected from Pakistani schools. Stepwise forward regression model was applied to check the possible effects of multilevel variables on physical activity and to extract the stronger predictors. The results showed that physical activity was significantly predicted by individual level factors such as self-efficacy, motivation, and attitude. Among the demographic correlates, gender, age, and BMI did not affect physical activity, while socioeconomic status and geographic characteristics had a meaningful association with PA. At the interpersonal level, adolescents' perception of family support had a potential influence on physical activity, while there was no impact of friends/peers and teachers support on adolescents' PA. A school environmental characteristic, such as PA facility, was positively related to PA; however, the impact of PA equipment, safety, and policy and PA culture were statistically non-significant. The findings suggest that public health intervention strategies aimed at promoting PA in adolescents should recognize multiple levels of influences that may either enhance or impede the likelihood of PA among adolescents.

Physical Activity and Anxiety of Chinese University Students: Mediation of Self-System.

The present study examined the role of self-enhancement and self-criticism in the relationship between physical activity and anxiety. A total of 305 students from Chinese universities, ranging in age from 18 to 36, completed a questionnaire package comprising a physical activity questionnaire, a self-enhancement strategies scale, a level of self-criticism scale, and a short form of state and trait anxiety scale. Findings highlighted that physical activity had a significant negative correlation with anxiety (r = -0.31, p < 0.01), a significant positive association with self-enhancement (r = 0.43, p < 0.01), and a significant negative relationship with self-criticism (r = -0.14, p < 0.05). It was also found that anxiety was significantly predicted by self-enhancement (-0.21, p < 0.01) and self-criticism (0.44, p < 0.01). Moreover, the mediation model supports the mediation of self-enhancement and self-criticism between physical activity and anxiety in university students. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at promoting physical activity and enhancing the self-system should be worthy strategies for reducing students' anxiety.

Wellbeing and flow in sports and music students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of the study was to explore emotional and cognitive aspects of subjective wellbeing and flow in music and sports students during the lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (314 higher education sports and music students) answered questions about measure of flow, satisfaction with life, satisfaction with studying, positive and negative affect, and COVID-19 impact. The results revealed differences in eight flow dimensions and a global flow score in favor of sports students. Differences were also found in affect: sports students experienced more positive affect and less negative affect than musicians. However, there were no significant differences with regard to satisfaction with life or satisfaction with study, and music and sports students perceived the COVID-19 impact equally. Gender differences were found for three flow dimensions and the global flow score (female students experienced flow less frequently than males) and satisfaction with studying (higher scores for female students). However, no gender differences were detected for satisfaction with life, positive and negative affect, or COVID-19 impact. The results of regression analyses showed that satisfaction with life and studying, positive and negative affect, and COVID-19 impact could all be predicted on the basis of flow dimensions.

Music Training Improves Depressed Mood Symptoms in Elderly People: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The effectiveness of music training on depressed mood and general cognitive function in elderly participants is verified in this study. Music activities consisted of improvisation exercises for stimulating interpersonal skills, mood, and cognitive functions. A mixed research method was adopted, including standardized measures (Mini-Mental State Examination and Geriatric Depression Scale) and follow-up semistructured interviews. The research design included pre- and postevaluation with randomized experimental and control groups. Participants were 45 care residents aged 62 to 95, healthy and with cognitive impairment. Results revealed a significant improvement in depression index (Geriatric Depression Scale) for the experimental period (t = 1.450; p < .005; d = 0.453) while the control group had no improvement (t = 0.080; p > .1; d = 0.025). In addition, a significant improvement was found in the cognitive level (Mini-Mental State Examination) for the experimental (t = 2.300; p < .005; d = 0.668) than the control group that had a significant reduction (t = 1.240; p < .05; d = 0.273). This study provides evidence that music training has a positive impact on depressed mood and general cognitive function in elderly participants. These types of music training sessions could provide aid to control the symptoms of depression, delay the deterioration of cognitive function, and enhance social-cognitive function, especially in individuals presenting with cognitive impairment.

Art for Ages: The Effects of Group Music Making on the Wellbeing of Nursing Home Residents.

In many countries, life expectancy has increased considerably in past years, and the importance of finding ways to ensure good levels of wellbeing through aging has become more important than ever. Arts based interventions are promising in this respect, and the literature suggests that musical activities can reduce isolation and anxiety and foster feelings of achievement and self-confidence. The present study examined the effects of group music making programs on the health and wellbeing of nursing home residents in Southern Switzerland. A team of professional and student musicians delivered 10 weekly music sessions in four nursing homes, focusing on singing, rhythm-based activities with percussion instruments, and listening to short, live performances. 22 participants (16 women and 6 men, aged 72-95 years, mean 83.6, SD ± 6.9) were recruited to take part in the study and were interviewed after the last music session. The data were analyzed with thematic analysis to investigate how residents experienced group music making and its effects. The findings show that the music programs were beneficial for residents' wellbeing. Music plays an important role in their lives, both in their pasts and presently, and being involved in musical activities offers engagement and novelty in daily life, providing learning opportunities and facilitating interpersonal relationships. Moreover, these results were due to interactions with the musicians involved. Residents particularly appreciated the opportunity to listen to live performances as part of the sessions. This study suggests that nursing home residents value music and that music based interventions play an important and direct role in enhancing their wellbeing.

Adaptation and destabilization of interpersonal relationships in sport and music during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting imposition of physical distancing rules had consequences in the domains of music and sport. The present study sought to analyze how the COVID-19 lockdown period affected interpersonal relationships between music teachers and students and sports coaches and athletes. As part of a semi-structured interview, eighteen participants-six athletes and their three coaches and six musicians and their three teachers-were asked to recall how their interpersonal relationships evolved during the lockdown. Findings showed that these changes could be grouped into four dimensions: establishing a new relationship; working on a new form for the relationship; developing functional, positive adaptations; and developing non-adaptive, detached relationships. Findings also showed that members of the dyad gave meaning to their interpersonal relationship in a dynamic way, even over such a short time. There were some similarities between the experiences of musicians and athletes, highlighting the importance of a well-functioning dyad and good communication between the parties.

Flow and Satisfaction With Life in Elite Musicians and Top Athletes.

Although flow has been studied extensively in music and sport, there is a lack of research comparing these two domains. With the aim of filling this gap, elite musicians and top athletes in Slovenia were contrasted in the current study. Differences for flow and satisfaction with life between elite musicians and top athletes were explored. Individual versus group performance setting and gender differences were considered. 452 participants; 114 elite Slovenian musicians (mean age 23.46 years) and 338 top Slovenian athletes (mean age 22.40 years) answered questions about flow and satisfaction with life measures. The results show differences between elite musicians and top athletes in four flow dimensions: transformation of time and autotelic experience were higher in musicians while clear goals and unambiguous feedback were higher in athletes. However, differences in global flow were not confirmed. Elite musicians and top athletes experienced flow more often in group than in individual performance settings and surprisingly it was experienced more in male than in female top performers. Satisfaction with life has a positive correlation with all nine dimensions of flow, but only challenge-skill balance was a significant predictor for satisfaction with life.

Instrumental Technique, Expressivity, and Communication. A Qualitative Study on Learning Music in Individual and Collective Settings.

In this paper, we present a qualitative study comparing individual and collective music pedagogies from the point of view of the learner. In doing so, we discuss how the theoretical tools of embodied cognitive science (ECS) can provide adequate resources to capture the main properties of both contexts. We begin by outlining the core principles of ECS, describing how it emerged in response to the information-processing approach to mind, which dominated the cognitive sciences for the latter half of the 20th century. We then consider the orientation offered by ECS and its relevance for music education. We do this by identifying overlapping principles between three tenets of ECS, and three aspects of pedagogical practice. This results in the categories of "instrumental technique," "expressivity," and "communication," which we adopted to examine and categorize the data emerging from our study. In conclusion, we consider the results of our study in light of ECS, discussing what implications can emerge for concrete pedagogical practices in both individual and collective settings.