Mapping Music Teachers' Beliefs About Students Gifted for Music: A Latent Profile Analysis
Abstract
Stereotypical beliefs about gifted students shape teaching and learning contexts. However, little is known about teachers' beliefs in domain-specific contexts, such as music. The present vignette-based online study examined whether distinct belief profiles could be identified among the 278 participating (prospective) music teachers evaluating a fictitious student gifted for music on achievement-related, socio-emotional, and behavioral characteristics, as well as on personality traits. Latent Profile Analysis revealed two profiles reflecting a generally positive view of musically gifted students, consistent with the so-called harmony hypothesis, differing only in extremity: Moderate Raters and Extreme Raters. A Monte Carlo simulation with 1,000 iterations confirmed that this two-profile solution best fits the present data. The findings suggest domain-specific, positive stereotypical teacher beliefs about students gifted for music and underscore the need to consider their potential effects in teaching contexts, particularly regarding external expectations and the pressures that may be exerted on these students.