Higher Education Piano Teachers’ Perspectives to Imagery

A Qualitative Study

Bibliographic Data

ID17575534
AuthorsD D Li (The University of Melbourne, corresponding author), Dorothy Li (0000-0003-1399-2988, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia), Brad Merrick (0000-0002-0409-4994, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia), Leon R De Bruin (0000-0002-5385-6406, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia)
Year2026
Publication date2026-02-16
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Music Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0255-7614 • E-ISSN: 1744-795X
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/02557614251412638
OpenAlexW7129066857
LanguageEN
References cited44

Musicians often engage in imagery to improve their practice and performance, however, there are experiences that shape preferences and varying approaches to how they engage with imagery and how they may teach imagery. Mental practice and imagery research offers varied nomenclature that span motor-sensory adaptation, refinement, expressive lucidity and goal-orientation that point to self-regulatory concepts in music learning. Exploring what teachers may conceive imagery to be, how teachers formulate upon their early understandings of imagery and how they currently engage with imagery in impactful teaching practice from personal experience is an under-researched area of investigation. This phenomenological study investigated three higher education piano teachers’ use and approaches to imagery by analysing perceptions, attitudes and applications of imagery in teaching within a masters-level music performance course in Melbourne, Australia. Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) revealed differing conceptions of imagery and how it is utilised as a pedagogical tool and the value teachers hold for engaging imagery as a means of approaching planning, performance and reflective practice. The findings highlight social and experiential underpinnings to how imagery is conceived and used as a pedagogy. The study offers implications to activation of imagination in imagery conceptions in applied learning experiences and usage in teaching practices

Experiential learning · Higher education · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Mental image · Music education · Piano · Qualitative research · Visual arts education · Diverse Music Education Insights · Education, Achievement, and Giftedness · Sport Psychology and Performance

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access