A study on the relationship between teacher feedback types, self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation among violin learners.

INTRODUCTION

To explore the psychological mechanisms of persistence in adult instrumental learning, this study investigates the associations among different types of teacher feedback, self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation, and examines the moderating role of learning stages.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional survey design, scale and open-ended text data were collected from 743 adult violin learners. A moderated mediation model was tested through multiple regression and the Bootstrap method, supplemented by thematic analysis to provide a qualitative context.

RESULTS

Data analysis indicates: (1) Positive feedback and constructive feedback are significantly and positively associated with intrinsic motivation (β = 0.207, p < 0.001; β = 0.342, p < 0.001), while negative feedback shows a significant negative association (β = -0.318, p < 0.001); (2) Self-efficacy demonstrates a significant partial mediating association between the three types of feedback and intrinsic motivation, with indirect effect estimates of 0.103, 0.098, and -0.097, respectively (95% CIs all exclude 0); (3) The learning stage significantly moderates the conditional indirect effects: as the learning stage advances, the indirect association of positive feedback on intrinsic motivation via self-efficacy gradually weakens (index of moderated mediation = -0.045), whereas the indirect association of constructive feedback gradually strengthens (index of moderated mediation = 0.038). Open-ended texts echo these statistical paths at the micro-level.

DISCUSSION: The study shows that there are heterogeneous and dynamic statistical connections between teacher feedback and adult intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy is a key pathway to understanding this connection. In practice, the provision of instructional feedback content should match the learners' experience stage.