DOI: 10.3390/educsci16101612 ISSN: 2227-7102

Development and Validation of the Instrumental Musical Self-Concept Scale for High School Students

Francisco Javier Zarza-Alzugaray, Maria Begoña Zarza-Alzugaray, Oscar Casanova, Gary E. McPherson

In the field of musical learning, self-concept has received increasing attention in recent years. However, previous research in Spain has largely focused on students enrolled in specialized professional and higher music education, while instrumental musical self-concept in compulsory secondary education remains underexplored. To address this gap, the present study developed an ad hoc scale specifically designed to assess instrumental musical self-concept among secondary school students. The final sample consisted of 980 students from 14 educational centers in Aragón and Navarra (Spain). The results provide evidence supporting the internal structure and internal consistency of the 16-item Instrumental Musical Self-Concept Scale for High School Students, organized into four theoretically interpretable factors. These findings contribute to the study of instrumental musical self-concept in Spanish secondary education and provide an instrument whose psychometric properties can be further examined in independent samples and through additional sources of validity evidence.