Perceived improvisational and reflection-oriented teaching among choreography undergraduates in Chinese comprehensive universities: indirect associations through perceived teacher support

Choreography students must generate movement, work with ambiguity, and revise unfinished material under observation, yet quantitative research rarely distinguishes the instructional practices that support generation from those that support reflection and revision. This study examined whether perceived improvisational teaching and perceived reflection-oriented teaching were associated with creative self-efficacy in choreography, including indirect associations through perceived teacher support. The study used cross-sectional survey data from 368 adult choreography undergraduates in 12 comprehensive universities across eastern, central, and western China. Covariance-based structural equation modelling was used to estimate the proposed associations. Both perceived teaching practices were positively associated with perceived teacher support and creative self-efficacy, and perceived teacher support was positively associated with creative self-efficacy. The findings were also consistent with indirect associations through perceived teacher support. The results support a distinction between generation-oriented improvisational practice and regulation-oriented reflective activity and clarify how perceived instructional practice and relational support are jointly associated with creative confidence. Because the variables were measured concurrently through student self-reports, the pattern should be interpreted as associational rather than causal.