Music education as an integrative self-regulatory experience: A qualitative study of Chinese university students' perceptions

BACKGROUND: Previous research on music education has often examined cognitive development, psychological well-being, or academic engagement as separate domains, and has frequently relied on quantitative or outcome-oriented designs. Less attention has been given to how university students themselves interpret and make sense of music education in relation to these interconnected aspects of their academic and personal lives. This study addresses this gap by exploring non-music university students' perceptions of how engagement with music education relates to cognitive processes, psychological well-being, and academic engagement. METHODS: The study adopted a qualitative research design and used semi-structured interviews with 78 non-music students from multiple higher education institutions in Shandong Province, China. Interviews were conducted both in person and via WeChat to capture diverse experiences. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, allowing patterns of meaning to emerge inductively from participants' narratives. RESULTS: The analysis identified nine themes organized across three research domains. In relation to cognitive development, participants described perceptions of sustained attention and cognitive control, memory and information processing, and cognitive skill transfer, particularly involving pattern recognition, analytical thinking, and problem-solving strategies. Regarding psychological well-being, students articulated experiences connected to emotional regulation, stress and anxiety management, and psychological resilience, framing music as part of their everyday emotional coping and reflection. Concerning academic engagement and performance, participants described perceived connections between musical engagement and structured study habits, learning strategies, motivation, and academic confidence. Across all domains, accounts were framed as personal interpretations and lived experiences rather than objective changes or measured outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings illustrate how university students perceive music education as meaningfully intertwined with their cognitive experiences, emotional lives, and academic engagement. Rather than music education as producing specific cognitive, psychological, or academic effects, this study highlights its role as a contextual and experiential space through which students interpret attention, learning, emotional regulation, and confidence. By foregrounding students' voices, the study contributes qualitative insight into how music education is understood within higher education and complements existing outcome-based research with a meaning-centered perspective.