Exploring the impact of classroom climate on music aesthetic literacy in nonmusic majors

PLOS One | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333470 October 7, 2025 1 / 13 OPEN ACCESS Citation: Zhao L, Jiang H, Attan SA, Ibrahim KFK, Han B (2025) Exploring the impact of classroom climate on music aesthetic literacy in nonmusic majors. PLoS One 20(10): e0333470. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0333470 Editor: Bekalu Tadesse Moges, Woldia University, ETHIOPIA Received: April 1, 2025 Accepted: September 13, 2025 Published: October 7, 2025 Copyright: © 2025 Zhao et al . This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data availability statement: The data con- tained in the article are publicly available online. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.28711943. Funding: This study was financially support- ed by the 2024 Higher Education Teaching Reform Research Project of Chongqing Three Gorges University. Project: Construction RESEARCH ARTICLE Exploring the impact of classroom climate on music aesthetic literacy in nonmusic majors Liangliang Zhao1,2☯, He Jiang 3☯*, Sri Azra Attan2*, Ku Faridah Ku Ibrahim2, Bo Han4 1 Teacher School of Education, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, China, 2 Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 3 College of Music and Dance, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, P.R. China, 4 College of Arts, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, China ☯ These authors contributed equally to this work.

* hejiang@gzhu.edu.cn (HJ); sriazra@ucsiuniversity.edu.my (SAA) Abstract This study explores the impact of the classroom climate, encompassing both the physical environment (PE) and teacher–student interactions (TSI), on music aesthetic literacy (MAL) among nonmusic-major college students. Utilizing a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling, data were collected from 305 valid respondents enrolled in music aesthetics courses. Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the relationships between PE, TSI, and four MAL dimensions: Habit, Attitude, Knowledge, and Performance and Appreciation Skill (PAS). Results indicate that both PE and TSI influence MAL significantly and positively, with TSI having a stronger impact. Specifically, TSI demonstrated greater effects on Attitude, Habit, Knowledge, and PAS, while PE had a notable impact on Knowledge and Habit but less influence on PAS. Linear regression results revealed that PE and TSI collectively explained 43.6% of the variance in MAL (F(2,302) = 116.635, p < 0.05), underscoring the importance of the classroom climate in shaping students’ music aesthetic literacy. These findings suggest that enhancing TSI and creating favorable PEs can effectively support music education in higher education. Introduction Music, as a form of artistic expression, transcends its immediate cultural and enter- tainment value by serving as a critical component of holistic education. In the context of higher education, music fosters cognitive, emotional, and social development,

enriching students’ educational experiences and enhancing their aesthetic sensi- tivity [1]. Research has shown that music education contributes to the cultivation of creative thinking and innovation skills, particularly for students in nonarts fields such as science and engineering [2]. Advocates such as D’Olimpio emphasize the impor- tance of integrating aesthetic education, including music, into academic curricula