Associations of Teaching Innovation with Acting Skill Development in Chinese Acting Programmes: Psychological Flexibility Mediation and Direct-Effect Moderation by Teaching Strategies in a Cross-Sectional Survey
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57125/FED.2026.09.05Keywords:
teaching innovation, acting skill development, psychological flexibility, teaching strategies, PLS-SEM, Chinese performing-arts education.Abstract
Using a cross-sectional survey analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), this study examined whether teaching innovation was associated with acting skill development in Chinese acting-training settings, whether psychological flexibility mediated that association, and whether teaching strategies moderated the direct teaching innovation-acting skill development path. The survey yielded 350 valid responses from conservatories, university programmes, vocational colleges, and private studios; each focal construct was measured with nine reflective 7-point items. Data were analysed in SPSS and SmartPLS using PLS-SEM, including measurement-model assessment, bootstrapped testing of the indirect effect with 5,000 resamples, a latent interaction term, and simple-slopes analysis. Teaching innovation was positively associated with acting skill development (total effect c = .383, p < .001) and retained a significant direct association after entering psychological flexibility (β = .206, t = 4.29, p < .001). Teaching innovation predicted psychological flexibility (a = .467, t = 11.90, p < .001), psychological flexibility predicted acting skill development (β = .379, t = 8.30, p < .001), and the indirect effect was significant (.177, 95% CI [.129, .234]), indicating partial mediation. Teaching strategies positively moderated the direct association (β = .185, t = 3.96, p < .001); the simple slope was approximately .00 at low teaching strategies and .369 at high teaching strategies. The model explained R² = .272 of acting skill development, rising to R² = .300 with the interaction. The study contributes evidence that innovation in acting education is linked to skill development partly through psychological flexibility and more strongly under strategy-rich teaching conditions. In plain terms, new teaching methods appear to help actors develop most when they also build students’ psychological adaptability and are paired with strong, strategy-rich instruction rather than deployed on their own.
References
Aldaghlawy, H. J. (2024). A proposed system for using augmented reality technology in actor training. Basrah Arts Journal, (28). https://doi.org/10.59767/2024.02/28.10
Allain, P. (2019). Physical actor training 2.0: New digital horizons. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 10(2), 169–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2019.1609074
Athiemoolam, L. (2018). The value of drama-in-education as a decolonising pedagogy through embodied drama strategies in a higher education classroom. Journal of Education, 72. https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i72a04
Avramova-Todorova, G. (2026). Emotional regulation skills in the pedagogical process. Pedagogika-Pedagogy, 98(2s). https://doi.org/10.53656/ped2026-2s.05
Berelet, V. (2026). Actor training is the basis of stage skills. Humanities Science Current Issues, 1(96), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.24919/2308-4863/96-1-6
Bond, F. W., Hayes, S. C., Baer, R. A., Carpenter, K. M., Guenole, N., Orcutt, H. K., Waltz, T., & Zettle, R. D. (2011). Preliminary psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire–II: A revised measure of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. Behavior Therapy, 42(4), 676–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2011.03.007
Bortnyk, K. (2021). The place of the discipline "Fundamentals of Stage Movement: Historical Etiquette" in the professional training of a modern actor and its connection with the subjects of professional and practical cycle. Culture of Ukraine, 41–46. https://doi.org/10.31516/2410-5325.074.07
Bozia, E. (2018). Reviving classical drama: Virtual reality and experiential learning in a traditional classroom. Digital Humanities Quarterly, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.63744/7mnevt4w4kzq
Busari, A. (2020). Acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of social anxiety among secondary school students in rural area of Oyo State, Nigeria. Journal of Humanities Therapy, 11(1), 87–116. https://doi.org/10.33252/jht.2020.06.11.1.87
Cahnmann-Taylor, M., & McGovern, K. (2023). Art museum curator: A drama improvisation game to play with language learners. Babylonia Journal of Language Education. https://doi.org/10.55393/babylonia.vi.210
Celume, M., Goldstein, T., Besançon, M., & Zenasni, F. (2020). Developing children's socio-emotional competencies through drama pedagogy training: An experimental study on theory of mind and collaborative behavior. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 16(4), 707–726. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v16i4.2054
Celume, M. P., Besançon, M., & Zenasni, F. (2019). Fostering children and adolescents' creative thinking in education: A theoretical model of drama pedagogy training. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 2611. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02611
Cziboly, A., & Bethlenfalvy, A. (2020). Response to COVID-19 — Zooming in on online process drama. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 25(4), 645–651. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569783.2020.1816818
Damodaran, B., Monisha, J., Shanthi, V., Abhinaya, B., Thiruchenduran, M., & Yang, Y. (2026). Performing arts and emotional intelligence development. ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 7(3s). https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i3s.2026.7321
Daryaye Lal, G., & Akbari, B. (2022). The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on emotional processing in female students with social anxiety disorder. Applied Family Therapy Journal, 3(3), 51–65. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.aftj.3.3.4
Etikan, I., & Bala, K. (2017). Sampling and sampling methods. Biometrics & Biostatistics International Journal, 5(6), 215–217. https://doi.org/10.15406/bbij.2017.05.00149
Felsman, P., Seifert, C. M., & Himle, J. A. (2019). The use of improvisational theater training to reduce social anxiety in adolescents. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 63, 111–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2018.12.001
Goldstein, T. R. (2024). Why theatre education matters: Understanding its cognitive, social, and emotional benefits. Teachers College Press.
Goldstein, T. R., Young, D. L., & Thompson, B. N. (2020). It's all critical: Acting teachers' beliefs about theater classes. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 775. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00775
Goodchild, T., & Speed, E. (2018). Technology enhanced learning as transformative innovation: A note on the enduring myth of TEL. Teaching in Higher Education, 24(8), 948–963. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2018.1518900
Grace, S., & Streckfuss, J. (2018). Practice performance and performance anxiety: Preparing osteopathic students for practice. Focus on Health Professional Education: A Multi-Professional Journal, 19(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.11157/fohpe.v19i1.196
Gray, C., & O'Rourke, J. (2026). Brilliant little things: Drama-based mindfulness to support pre-service teacher wellbeing. Reflective Practice, 27(4), 543–557. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2025.2608290
Grégoire, S., Lachance, L., Bouffard, T., & Dionne, F. (2018). The use of acceptance and commitment therapy to promote mental health and school engagement in university students: A multisite randomized controlled trial. Behavior Therapy, 49(3), 360–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2017.10.003
Hadjipanteli, A. (2020). Drama pedagogy as aretaic pedagogy: The synergy of a teacher's embodiment of artistry. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 25(2), 201–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569783.2020.1730168
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Hasna, A., & Fajri, N. (2023). Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) counseling as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) intervention for students. Jurnal Konseling dan Pendidikan, 11(3), 167. https://doi.org/10.29210/1101100
Hayes, A. F. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2019). Acceptance and commitment therapy: The process and practice of mindful change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Horasan-Doğan, S., & Cephe, P. T. (2020). The effects of creative drama on student teachers' creative pedagogy and identity. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 38, Article 100736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100736
Hou, Y. (2026). How drama education promotes university students' psychological resilience and self-identity: A conceptual mechanism framework. Scientific Navigation, 2(1), 47–60. https://doi.org/10.64376/3cqy2552
Irugalbandara, A. I. (2020). Investigation of the development of creative thinking and adaptability skills through process drama techniques [Doctoral thesis, Queensland University of Technology]. QUT ePrints. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/203805
Jeong, N., & Kim, E. (2021). Effects of the acceptance and commitment group therapy and positive acceptance and commitment group therapy for college students with depressive symptoms. Korean Journal of Youth Studies, 28(1), 79–113. https://doi.org/10.21509/kjys.2021.01.28.1.79
Jonassen, D. H. (2019). Learning to solve complex problems. Routledge.
Karaosmanoğlu, G., & Metinnam, İ. (2022). Improvisation strategies in online drama lesson. Education Quarterly Reviews, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.31014/aior.1993.05.04.647
Kashdan, T. B., & Rottenberg, J. (2010). Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect of health. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 865–878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.001
Keshavarz, S. (2025). The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on social anxiety, academic performance, and homesickness among international students at Imam Khomeini International University. Health Nexus, 3(3), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.hn.3.3.15
Kim, Y., & Joh, J. (2024). The study on the characteristics of human-AI collaborative creation performing arts: Focused on Korean AI performing artworks. Liberal Arts Innovation Center, 14, 397–424. https://doi.org/10.54698/kl.2024.14.397
Kimya, E., Hatun, O., & Ekşi, H. (2024). Dispositional hope, psychological flexibility, and psychological distress: Psychometric properties of the Personalized Psychological Flexibility Index among Turkish adults. Psychological Assessment, 36(4), e1–e12. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0001303
Kline, R. B. (2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
Kolenko, A. (2025). Digital transformation in actor training: Integrating VR practice and spectral analysis tools into theatre pedagogy. In International Scientific Unity (pp. 333–336). https://doi.org/10.70286/isu-29.10.2025.010
Kornyts'ka, Yu., & Tuliakova, K. (2025). Developing emotional regulation skills in the ESP classroom. Human Studies: Series of Pedagogy, 69–75. https://doi.org/10.24919/2413-2039.20/52.9
Lee, B. K., Patall, E. A., Cawthon, S. W., & Steingut, R. R. (2015). The effect of drama-based pedagogy on PreK–16 outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 85(1), 3–49. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654314540477
Lewinsohn, A. (2019). The life-death paradox in the presence of the actor. Performance and Mindfulness, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.5920/pam.562
Lewis, R., & Bird, M. (2019). Deep muscles, deeper understanding: An investigation into abdominal muscle activation during vocalization and the impact of active training for the stage actor. Journal of Interdisciplinary Voice Studies, 4(1), 71–84. https://doi.org/10.1386/jivs.4.1.71_1
Liu, J. (2025). Examining the role of psychological flexibility and occupational stress in biographic popularity on the university campus. Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, 8(3), 01–20. https://doi.org/10.33140/jhss.08.03.01
Ma, L. K., Chung, Y. B., Shee, E. S. C., & Cheng, G. F. L. (2024). How does drama-based pedagogy enhance learning and teaching in psychology? An exploratory mixed-method study. Psychology Teaching Review. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsptr.2024.30.2.4
Maley, A. (2023). The art of foreign language teaching: Improvisation and drama in teacher development and language learning (second edition) [Review of the book]. ELT Journal, 77(3), 380–382. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccad035
McKay, D., & O'Donohue, W. (2023). Conceptual, psychometric, methodological and value problems in acceptance and commitment therapy: Introduction to the special section, "A critical appraisal of acceptance and commitment therapy." Behavior Therapy, 54(6), 929–938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2023.07.004
McNamara, A. (2018). Acting. In Exploring pedagogic frailty and resilience (pp. 159–175). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004380929_010
Odangiu, F. (2019). The actor lost in translation? Competence vs. presence in the teacher-director's stage directions. Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Dramatica, 64(1), 31–46. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbdrama.2019.1.02
Oh, J. (2017). Goals and strategies of teachers' emotional regulation in physical education class. Korean Journal of Sport Pedagogy, 24(4), 131–153. https://doi.org/10.21812/kjsp.2017.10.24.4.131
Panagiotopoulou, E. (2018). Dance therapy and the public school: The development of social and emotional skills of high school students in Greece. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 59, 25–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2017.11.003
Pathak, A., Bhilare, D., Kalra, H., Gupta, M., Jancy, S., & Rathore, A. (2025). The role of AI in managing performing arts institutions. ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 6(1s). https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v6.i1s.2025.6621
Rolffs, J. L., Rogge, R. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2018). Disentangling components of flexibility via the Hexaflex model: Development and validation of the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory. Assessment, 25(4), 458–482. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191116645905
Roslaini, R., & Ilyas, H. (2026). Beyond pedagogy: Examining EFL teachers' emotional turbulence and their strategies for emotional regulation. AMCA Journal of Education and Behavioral Change, 6(1), 6–16. https://doi.org/10.51773/ajeb.v6i1.473
Russell-Lasalandra, L. L., Christensen, A. P., & Golino, H. (2026). Generative psychometrics via AI-GENIE: Automatic item generation and validation with network-integrated evaluation. Behavior Research Methods, 58(8), Article 217. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-026-03082-1
Schwenke, D., & Dshemuchadse, M. (2020). Improv to improve: The impact of improvisational theater on creativity, acceptance, and psychological well-being. The Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 16(3), 321–340. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2020.1754987
Shinde, J., Chaudhary, S., Bhilare, A., Jarad, R., Anitha, K., & Satav, S. (2026). Adaptive learning platforms for performing arts. ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 7(1s), 264–274. https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i1s.2026.7081
Shyp, O., Kutsyk, O., & Harahonych, T. (2021). The development of the stage skill of an actor in the context of the development of culture in the 20th century. Humanities Science Current Issues, 8(35), 95–101. https://doi.org/10.24919/2308-4863/35-8-15
Toivanen, T., Komulainen, K., & Ruismäki, H. (2011). Drama education and improvisation as a resource of teacher students' creativity. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 12, 60–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.02.010
Walmsley, B. (2013). A reflective perspective on the challenges facing research-led teaching in the performing and creative arts. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 12(2–3), 222–233. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474022212473944
Watson, D. C. (2026). Coping flexibility and psychological flexibility/inflexibility in personality disorder traits. North American Journal of Psychology, 28(2), 1192–1208. https://doi.org/10.65696/001c.162906
Yağar Kalaycı, M., & Aydın, Y. (2025). Intolerance of uncertainty and psychological flexibility predict worry in young adults. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 14(1), 238–250. https://doi.org/10.14686/buefad.1368769
Young, A. (2021). Application of psychological flexibility model to address mental health in higher education. Academia Letters. https://doi.org/10.20935/al2126
Zhao, Z. (2024). The relationship between social exclusion and suicidal ideation: The mediating role of psychological flexibility. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, 29, 535–544. https://doi.org/10.54097/brh69560
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
