Perceptions of Korean Traditional Dance and Performance Competence among Arts High-School Majors: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among perception of traditional dance, interest in traditional culture, and performance self-confidence among Korean dance major students in arts high schools. Data were collected from 90 students through self-reported questionnaires measuring perception of traditional dance (20 items), interest in traditional culture (10 items), and performance self-confidence (20 items). The internal consistency reliability of each scale was satisfactory (Cronbach's α = .941, .878, and .943, respectively). First, perception of traditional dance, interest in traditional culture, and performance self-confidence were positively correlated with each other ( r = .724, .641, and .506, respectively; all p < .001). Second, there were no statistically significant differences in the three variables according to gender or grade level. Third, hierarchical regression analysis revealed that perception of traditional dance significantly predicted performance self-confidence (β = .747, p < .001), and the interaction effect between perception and interest was statistically significant (β = .212, p = .020). The final model explained 52.3% of the variance in performance self-confidence. These findings suggest that enhancing students' perception of traditional dance is crucial for improving their performance self-confidence, and this effect is amplified when accompanied by a high level of interest in traditional culture.