Music Educators’ Self-Perceptions of Interpersonal Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study was to measure music educators’ ( N = 9) self-perceptions of their use of interpersonal skills. Participants rated themselves on 32 statements included on the “My Use of Interpersonal Skills Inventory” in pre- and posttest formats. Participants participated in a 4-week period of weekly practice, class discussions, and self-reflections focused on interpersonal skills. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was applied and revealed an overall significant difference ( z = −2.81, p < .01) in participants’ self-perceptions of their use of interpersonal skills. Self-perceptions of improved skills were reported in 20 out of 32 areas including a statistically significant ( p < .05) increase of ratings for seven interpersonal skill behaviors.