Orff Schulwerk in Chinese primary music classrooms: a qualitative study of teachers’ teaching self-efficacy and work engagement

Introduction: While primary school music teachers in China increasingly integrate Orff Schulwerk into their classroom practice, little qualitative research has examined how teachers themselves describe its relationship to their teaching self-efficacy and work engagement. Methods: Drawing on self-efficacy theory and the Job Demands-Resources model as sensitizing frameworks, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 primary school music teachers in Shandong Province, China, who regularly enacted Orff Schulwerk or Orff-inspired activities. Interview data were analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes were generated. First, teachers' understandings of Orff Schulwerk converged on diverse pathways of exposure, an experiential interpretation of pedagogical principles, and a phased design of lesson procedures. Second, teachers described their teaching self-efficacy in connection with Orff-informed practice, as reflected in enhanced classroom manageability, increased instructional confidence, more visible learning assessment, and sustained reflection and adjustment. Third, teachers described their work engagement in connection with Orff-informed practice, manifesting in more positive classroom affect, heightened teaching enthusiasm, and a stronger sense of instructional accomplishment. Discussion: Teachers' accounts suggest that Orff Schulwerk and its supportive ecology may be experienced as salient occupational resources, and that perceived growth in personal resources such as self-efficacy may accompany the use of this pedagogy. These findings provide contextualized qualitative evidence for the practical significance of Orff Schulwerk in Chinese primary music education and identify plausible pathways for further investigation through mixed-methods or longitudinal research.