Impact of fine arts education on psychological wellbeing of higher education students through moderating role of creativity and self-efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of our research was to explore the impact of fine arts education on psychological wellbeing among undergraduate students through moderating role of creativity and self-efficacy. Art is the most effective medium for expressing human ideals, culture, identity, lifestyles, emotions, and societal experiences. Cross-sectional research was carried out on 376 undergraduates in the 2022–2023 academic year at the public and private Chinese universities, and those students who are currently enrolled in fine arts courses. A link to the Google Doc survey was sent through email and social media channels (i.e., WeChat). The time frame of the data collection was 3 months, from February 2022 to April 2022. While analyzing the obtained data, we used IBM SPSS version 25, which includes both descriptive and inferential statistics. The overall results of the study indicate that the fine arts education positively and significantly influences psychological wellbeing. Moreover, findings also indicate that the creativity and self-efficacy positively and significantly moderate the relationship between fine arts education and psychological wellbeing. The study highlighted the significance of fine arts education in Chinese students. Through this study, students studying in this field should be made more aware of the importance of fine arts education and its link with psychological wellbeing. Further, art courses should be added to the curriculum at different levels of education to boost the creativity and self-efficacy of higher education students in China. Implications for parents, students, and teachers are also discussed.

Potentials of arts education initiatives for promoting emotional wellbeing of Chinese university students

“…The environmental variables of that article interacted with cognitive factors and thus facilitated the creative behavior. Jin and Ye ( 2022 ) discussed the component-wise model of creativity. They emphasized on the interconnected variables, such as domain skill, creativity-related process, and intrinsic plus extrinsic motivation.…”

“…The significance of SE is evident due to its close association with avoidant behavior (Jin and Ye, 2022 ). Individuals with a positive physical self-assessment tend to be more secure in interpersonal relationships and achieve greater professional success.…”

“…In the university context, where students face diverse academic and social demands, SE turns out to be a key factor in determining how effectively they navigate challenges to achieve their educational goals. Moreover, SE extends beyond academics (Jin and Ye, 2022 ). This impacts various aspects of students' lives, including their choices, interpersonal relationships, and overall wellbeing.…”

Creative pursuits for mental health and well-being

“…In addition, research also suggests that creativity and self-esteem positively and significantly influence the relationship between arts education and psychological well-being. [ 31 ]…”

The Effect of Sustainable Development Goals and Subjecting Well-Being on Art Nascent Entrepreneurship: The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurship Education

“…According to Naudé et al [15], subjective well-being is the extent to which individuals feel satisfied with their lives and occupations. Higher psychological well-being is associated with numerous physical and mental health advantages, including a more robust immune system, improved sleep patterns, and lowered blood pressure [22]. In addition to being happy and content, psychologically healthy people can effectively utilize their mental and physical resources to pursue worthwhile endeavors, especially those that bring them pride and they are motivated to engage in [5], such as entrepreneurship.…”