415 Teaching Piano to Blind Children: An Analysis of Positive Perceptions Based on Perma Framework in Qingdao, China Jiang Xin1, Poon Chiew Hwa1, Shelly Cooper2, Cheong Ku Wing3 1Universiti Malaya, Malaysia 2University of Nebraska Omaha, United States 3USCI University, Malaysia Submitted: 2023-03-30. Revised: 2023-05-19. Accepted: 2023-10-28 Abstract Blind children can benefit from music education as it enhances their musical skills and auditory abilities. However, blind children in China face challenges in pursuing music education due to issues such as social stigma and lack of qualified teachers. Moreover, research in this area is lack- ing. On the basis of the PERMA (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accom- plishment) framework, this study attempts to identify the positive psychology of blind children’s piano learning among teachers, blind students, and parents. This study aims to to fill the re- search gap of piano learning among blind children. Interviews were conducted with piano teach- ers, blind students, and their parents (N=56) using a qualitative research methodology through PERMA framework. The data identified that piano teachers’ instruction was influenced by their preparation of teaching and personal attitudes. Findings also revealed that the positive emotion, sense of engagement, and positive relationships, impacted the accomplishment and achievement of all participants. This study demonstrates that teachers’ preparation experience and positive attitudes, engagement, and building rapport with blind children and their parents are crucial to promoting their piano learning. This study offers readers the chance to get insight into the field of piano instruction for the blind as well as illumination from thought and empirical support for piano teachers and music educators in inclusive music education in China. Keywords: blind students; PERMA; piano teaching; positive perceptions How to Cite: Xin, J., Hwa, P. C., Cooper, S., Wing, C. K. (2023). Teaching Piano to Blind Children: An Analysis of Positive Perceptions Based on Perma Framework in Qingdao, China. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education, 23(2), 415-428 Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (2) (2023), 415-428 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/harmonia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v23i2.43468 dies have shown that blind people have the ability to learn music. China has a consi- derable number of individuals with vision impairment, which comprises a significant proportion of the impaired population (Kong et al., 2021). According to 2010 sta- tistics from the China Impaired Persons’ Federation, there are approximately 85.02 million disabled people in China, of whom 12.63 million have visual impairment and account for approximately 14% of the disa- INTRODUCTION Despite their visual limitations, blind individuals have a strong interest in their aptitude for musicianship (Miller et al., 2000). When testing the perception of au- ditory space, Eitan et al. (2012) discovered that the capacity of blind individuals to ca- librate the hearing environment with one ear and both ears is equivalent to or better than that of sighted individuals. These stu- Corresponding author: E-mail: chiewhwa.poon@um.edu.my p-ISSN 2541-1683|e-ISSN 2541-2426 Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (2) (2023): 415-428416 bled population (Kong et al., 2021). The low incidence of schooling among blind individuals limits their ability to study music. Feng and Sass (2013) discovered that Chinese instructors with poor ability and limited passion had more unfavorab- le perspectives on inclusive education and professional development for students with special needs. Faced with the needs of blind students for piano learning, rese- arch in this field cannot be ignored. This study attempts to fill the researchgap and broaden the scope of research in the area of the teaching and learning of piano among blind children. This study intend to explore the in- nate relationships that piano teachers have experienced while instructing blind stu- dents, to provide insight and assistance to teachers, students with special needs, and parents. Utilizing the PERMA model to evaluate, enhance, and maintain the foundations of psychological well-being of those who are blind is supported by Madeson (2017). The five elements of the PERMA model include positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Music instruction for children with visual impairment can be complicated due to nonstandard instruc- tional materials and unprepared educators (Wong, 2020). Through PERMA analysis (Doyle et al., 2021), this research aims to discover the positive psychology of blind children’s piano learning among teachers, blind students and parents. Hence, this article’s research question is as follows: Based on the framework of PERMA (Posi- tive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement), what is the positive psychology of blind children’s piano learning from the perspectives of instructors, blind students, and parents? Although many countries and re- gions have introduced policies and measu- res to promote inclusive education within the past few decades, the development of inclusive classroom practice is not easy to achieve (Göransson & Nilholm, 2014). Slee (2018) proposes that inclusive education means maximizing students’ participation in learning. The purpose of inclusive teach- ing method is to solve the dilemma of phy- sical and bodily differences. This teaching method can be used by all people (Spratt & Florian, 2014). Furthermore, Moriña (2020) and Hawkins and Weis (2017) discussed differences between the three concepts of inclusive education, inclusive practice and inclusive teaching method. The purpose of inclusive education is to provide common education for all children. Inclusive practi- ce refers to the actions and activities taken by professionals in schools and other edu- cational environments to achieve inclusive education (Florian & Rouse, 2009). Inclusive education is intended to eliminate barriers and discrimination. Lindsay (2003) believes that because in- clusive education has various manifes- tations in practice, it is necessary to ac- count for conceptual and practical issues as well as the relationships between field during implementation. Messiou (2017) emphasized that inclusive education re- search should focus on changing existing thinking and practice models through a collaborative approach. In addition, rese- archers frequently concentrate their focus on the roles performed by educators in in- clusive instructional strategies. Similarly, Forlin (2001) believes that teachers need a series of skills, attitudes and knowledge to develop inclusive education. Spratt and Florian (2014) proposed a model of inclu- sive teaching methods, focusing on the content, methods and reasons for teachers to engage in inclusive teaching methods. Receiving music education is the right of each individual. The availability of music as a participatory activity (beyond passive exposure) in inclusive education guaran- tees it is a human right and a disability right (Lubet, 2011). Jellison (2012) noted the consideration of definitions and prac- tices between and within countries largely involved disabled students receiving edu- cation from non-disabled students in for- mal schools and community experiences. Darrow and Adamek (2018) listed effective music teaching strategies in inclusive clas- srooms, which are conducive to teachers’ Jiang Xin et al., Teaching Piano to Blind Children: An Analysis of Positive Perceptions 417 ability in adapting adjustments in the envi- ronment, teaching, or teaching materials to improve students’ classroom performance. In spite of the progress we have made in the understanding of inclusive education, a significant portion of such an awareness has yet to permeate the eve- ryday inclusive musical education that is catered to blind children. There remains a substantial research gap with what acade- mics understand the emotional conditions in piano classes and the extent to which are effective approaches to reach inclusive musical education for blind children. Such incapacity to connect the gaps across the theory and actual inquiry has a negative influence on the progression towards in- clusive school education and the capability of musical instructors to cater to the needs of blind students. In the present study, the emotional factors that facilitate the tran- sition of academic knowledge into imple- mentation of inclusive musical educational environments were further investigated. To understand how these blind stu- dents perceive their musical education in the classroom, this current study emplo- yed the PERMA framework developed by Martin Seligman (M. E. Seligman, 2002). Among the first psychologists to explain well-being of humanity using the traits of a self-actualized individual was Maslow (1962) with his hierarchy of needs. The PERMA framework has been utilized in positive psychology, and specifies the qua- lities of a thriving person; well-being the- ories are related to self-actualization (Clo- nan et al., 2004). In PERMA theory, the “P” represents positive emotion, “E” refers to engagement, “R” represents positive rela- tionships, “M” represents meaning, and “A” refers to accomplishment or achie- vement (Madeson, 2017). The objective of this research was to understand the stake- holders involved in blind children’s piano educational processes, including the teach- ers, students, and their parents. The PERMA analysis model is one of the major contributions of Positive Psychology’s comprehensive psychologi- cal approach to comprehending human relationships. Positive Psychology (PS) is a collection of concepts concerned with the development and structuring of psycho- logical elements within a broader social structure (Anglin et al., 2018). It is “a scien- ce of positive subjective experience, posi- tive individual traits, and positive institu- tions that promises to improve quality of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and meaningless” (Se- ligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2014, p.5). Due to the increasing interdisciplinary of mu- sic education research, music education is also intimately related to psychopathology (Houben et al., 2015; Thomson et al., 2014) but also how their feelings fluctuate across time is crucial for psychological health. The last 2 decades have witnessed a sur- ge in research linking various patterns of short-term emotional change to adaptive or maladaptive psychological functioning, often with conflicting results. A meta-ana- lysis was performed to identify consistent relationships between patterns of short- term emotion dynamics—including pat- terns reflecting emotional variability (me- asured in terms of within-person standard deviation of emotions across time. Music has cognitive, emotional, and social bene- fits for everyone. Music’s social functions are embodied in daily life in three primary ways: self-identity, interpersonal interacti- on, and emotional regulation (Hargreaves & North, 1999). In addition, the application of music psychology plays an important role in teaching activities for music educa- tors. Music psychology is a multi-discipli- nary and interdisciplinary study of music phenomena. Hodges (2003) proposed that discussing the relationship between music psychology and music education is neces- sary. While most previous studies have explored the frequency of children’s edu- cational circumstances in inclusive educa- tion, there remains a scarcity of knowled- ge on the positive psychological levels of music educators, blind students, and their parents. Children with visual impairments have far fewer opportunities to attain a professional level of piano instruction. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (2) (2023): 415-428418 Thereby, the results of the current research offer fresh insights on blind children’s per- ceptions in piano learning practice and provide insights for policy-makers who help reduce inclusive music education dis- parities. There are existing research gaps in the literature regarding inclusive educa- tion and positive psychology; therefore, in this study focused on inclusive education and positive psychology to discover the issues and difficulties that Chinese piano instructors experience while educating blind piano students. METHOD This research aimed to under- stand the stakeholders involved in blind children’s piano educational processes, in- cluding the teachers, students, and their pa- rents. This research conducted semi-struc- tured interviews with the piano instructors of blind children between the ages of 9 to 12. According to Dearnley (2005), open- ness in semi-structured interviews fosters profundity and vitality, which is favorable to the formation of innovative theoretical conceptions. This increases the efficiency of the research by assisting with the col- lection of rich data for analysis (Doody & Noonan, 2013). In addition, semi-structu- red interviews enable discovery, explorati- on, and meaning expression, ensuring that complexity and subtleties are considered (Magaldi & Berler, 2020). Data Collection and Analysis Procedure The study was completed at the Qingdao School for the Blind which was established in 1932 and located in Qingdao city, Shandong Province, China. The parti- cipants included teachers (n =22), students (n =17), and parents (n =17). This study was conducted after obtaining the con- sents from all the interview participants. The interview questions were constructed based on PERMA and its related areas of social well-being and psychological con- tentment. Interviews were conducted at the teaching site, for a reasonably peaceful environment devoid of disruptions (Cres- well et al., 2007). This research created an interview protocol, following the code of ethics for qualitative research methodolo- gy. Each participant was interviewed for approximately thirty minutes, which was conducted with the help of their parents for interviews with participating students and using the semi-structured interview guide questions and suggestions for follow-up. The emphasis of the interview was to dis- cover the teachers’ teaching circumstances, perspectives, and attitudes about the piano learning of blind children. The data analysis of this study is based on the approach of deductive thema- tic analysis. Thematic analysis is flexible and can be applied to a wide range of rese- arch interests and theoretical perspectives to analyze data of different sizes and types or to generate data-driven or theory driven analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). This rese- arch read and organized the data obtained from each interview and then coded the data. Finally, analytical narratives were formed based on the obtained data extracts and combined with the existing literatu- re (Braun & Clarke, 2006). All interviews were transcribed, coded, summarized, and analyzed according to the classified data. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Positive emotion (P) A majority of participating teachers mentioned their concerns about piano te- aching for blind students. The teachers without prior teaching experience with blind students worried that their lack of ex- perience would adversely affect students’ learning. However, when they began their teaching careers, they remarked that they are fully motivated to teach with great enthusiasm, especially when they realized their responsibilities and contribution to the blind students. A participating teacher expressed the following: When I first taught blind students, I was not confident... However, I do believe that they have equal rights to undertake music education, particularly the piano. Jiang Xin et al., Teaching Piano to Blind Children: An Analysis of Positive Perceptions 419 Thus, I have a strong passion for teach- ing them in the classroom. (T4, 2021) Several participating teachers ex- pressed that they felt encouraged as the students demonstrated a high interest in piano learning despite their disabilities. Participating teacher expressed genuine enthusiasm as follows: Surprisingly, I was pretty impressed by the students’ willingness to acquire new knowledge and piano skills as well as their innocent smiles. I believe their struggle to overcome current learning obstacles is due to their enthusiasm for uncovering the beauty of music. (T7, 2022) Some teachers held a positive attitude and regarded students who were blind or visually challenged has no different than other students; others believed these indi- viduals had superior auditory abilities in music learning that could be transferred to the piano. I think they (blind students) can learn piano completely...music is an art that relies mainly on auditory learning. (T2, 2021) Similarly, this optimistic outlook can influence the psyche of blind students and their parents. Some students and pa- rents said that the teacher’s frequent prai- se made students feel extremely joyful and increased their desire to play the piano: If I finish my homework well, I will re- ceive praise and small gifts from my teacher every time I attend class, so I always practice hard at my usual time. (S12, 2021) Every time the teacher praises her in class, I feel that she will be particular- ly happy after class, and she will also be particularly attentive when practicing at home. (P6, 2021) Parents said the instructors’ encoura- ging approach boosted their determination to allow their children to study the piano. This attitude often occurs before meeting the student or in the early teaching stages. In the beginning, I had no expectations for my child’s piano learning. I felt that he was definitely not as good as other visible children. It was the teacher’s en- couragement that gradually dispelled this idea. (P16, 2021) Relationships (R) It was identified in the interview that the relationship between piano teachers and blind students at the early stage of te- aching was relatively distant. The partici- pating teachers and parents attributed this phenomenon to the students. They thought the visual defect could affect their ability to effectively communicate. When talking about how to improve the relationship bet- ween blind students and teachers, piano teachers said that they would design some games in the classroom to build a closer relationship between them. The interview data demonstrated that some teachers are highly compassionate in trying to have a closer relationship with their students des- pite of their disability. I feel that I am particularly serious about him, and I think I should help him, so whether it is in learning the piano or in life, if he has any problems, I will do my best to help him... (T17, 2021) Many participating teachers said that they believed that the best relationship with blind students was to be a teacher and a friend. In addition, the parents of blind children acknowledged that the excellent relationships that developed between instructors and their children’s schools were advantageous. Some parents belie- ve that maintaining a good relationship between teachers and students can relieve their children of tension. The students also said they liked the teacher very much, ma- king them more willing to learn the piano. My child is a bit afraid of unfamiliar en- vironments and people, but the teacher is particularly friendly, which made my child relax and quickly enter a learning state. (P5, 2021) I like my teacher very much, which ma- kes me feel like she is my good friend. Even if I make a mistake, she doesn’t se- riously criticize me. (S10, 2021) The interview with a group of children with visual difficulties also re- vealed the favorable impact of amiable relationships among the piano educators, blind children, and their parents. The re- Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (2) (2023): 415-428420 sults indicated that music educators are vi- tal for students’ involvement because their instructional approaches are geared to- wards satisfying the students’ aspirations for piano expertise and belongingness. For instance, one interviewee shared the follo- wing opinion in this research during the interview conversation: If the kids were exposed to some positive interactions with us, they would also ex- perience a positive communication envi- ronment. Our high levels of engagement are particularly evident and needed by the students and their parents. Thus, as their instructors, we would be facilita- ting these visually impaired children to be more engaged in positive relation- ships with us. (T16, 2021) Engagement (E) Engagement in the PERMA frame- work is also reflected in the piano teaching of blind students as participation is natu- rally reflected in the classroom. Because of blind students’ visual impairment, teach- ers utilize touch and body language as the main method for teaching blind students. For example, some piano teachers invol- ved touch in teaching basic skills, such as hand position, strength of sound, and dif- ferent key-touching methods. During the teaching process, the piano teacher stated that this tactile teaching method increased their interaction with students and promo- ted their sense of participation. Most of the time, our teaching methods are mainly based on touch and imitati- on. I need to constantly teach the whole class through touch... (T19, 2022) After class, the teachers help their students with other extra-curricular con- tent related to piano learning. For instan- ce, Braille-related material. However, due to the lack of teaching resources, teachers must adapt current teaching tools and learning materials in order to properly te- ach blind students. At present, there are no piano textbooks for blind students, so I can only readjust the existing textbooks for sound stu- dents to adapt to the learning of blind students; for example, I will eliminate the parts that need to be learned through vision. (T11, 2022) Teachers’ active participation also promoted parents’ and blind students’ sense of participation in piano learning, and they became more active in it. I feel that the teacher is very enthusias- tic every time and will still leave a lot of time to communicate with me after class. At the same time, she will also help me purchase some materials related to blind music learning. This gives me more con- fidence to keep my children learning the piano. (P8, 2022) My instructor will assist me in loca- ting some fascinating pieces, such as a pie- ce of music that requires four hands to per- form and playing with my teacher. When they play with me in class, it always makes me extremely happy, and I look forward to it. (S13, 2022) Meaning (M) Most piano teachers said that they felt that teaching piano to blind students was of great significance to their careers. Teachers who participated in the inter- view stated that when they taught blind children, they gained a new and deeper understanding of the blind population. Some piano teachers said that they had some new thoughts in the process of te- aching blind students, which are very be- neficial to their future teaching ability and innovation of teaching content. I have reconsidered the scope and con- tent of my teaching. I think that in the future, maybe I can let more disabled students learn piano and let them expe- rience the joy of music... (T14, 2022) At the same time, piano teachers be- lieve that their professional values have been further reflected in the process of teaching the blind. They believe that the “sense of mission” of their profession has been strengthened in the teaching pro- cess, which has injected more “vitality” into their teaching activities (T20, 2022). In addition, participating teachers also said that they had a “sense of responsibility” for blind students in the process of teach- ing them. This sense of responsibility may be caused by their own physical condi- Jiang Xin et al., Teaching Piano to Blind Children: An Analysis of Positive Perceptions 421 tions. This sense of responsibility also puts pressure on participating teachers (T18, 2022). Many participating teachers mentio- ned that they feel the pressure of teaching. This pressure comes first from the lack of experience and teaching materials. During the interview, many participating teachers are “distressed” by both. Secondly, their pressure comes from their parents’ “expec- tations” of teachers. I will feel really obliged to teach these blind kids, because I want to teach them well so that their parents will feel very relieved that their children can do many things like ordinary children. (T9, 2022) Accomplishment (A) The interview session revealed that most instructors favor including students with disabilities in piano learning. They have broken through their original unfa- miliar understanding of blind students, which has created a psychological sense of achievement for teachers. The study re- sults illustrate the meanings that reside in the guarantee of equal educational oppor- tunity. However, most participating teach- ers stated their understanding of blind stu- dents as unfamiliar, which affected their outlook and caused some teaching obstac- les. However, as teaching results emerge, they are proud of their efforts and the per- formance of their students. I have never interacted with blind peop- le, which led to a lack of understanding before formal teaching began. But later on, I found that he was getting better and better, and the previous strangeness completely disappeared. Now that he can play the piano works, I realize that I made the right decision (teach him). (T10, 2021) The participating teachers said a sen- se of achievement occurs when the blind students complete the designated short- term goals. Usually, these small goals are formulated by piano teachers after com- municating with the parents. The parti- cipating teachers believe these intuitive goals will help blind students learn piano and create interest in learning and practi- cing piano. When my student achieves a goal, he will be very happy and feel his enthu- siasm for learning the piano has become higher. Observing their enthusiasm, we, as their music instructors, are far more motivating (T7, 2021) Every time my child achieves a goal, I can feel the teacher’s special joy. She of- ten tells me that if my child can engage in related work in the future, it will pro- ve that she has achieved something. (P3, 2021) In summary, the data analysis revea- led that Chinese piano teachers have an inclusive and positive attitude towards te- aching blind students, but also experience pressure. Lack of teaching resources and materials combined with parents’ expecta- tions resulted in teaching and psychologi- cal pressure. However, they gained confi- dence and a sense of achievement during the teaching process. In addition, their pas- sion and sense of responsibility towards the blind students were apparent. Abramo and Pierce (2013) concluded that early research on music teaching for special groups focused on modifying music teaching to disabled students. Its purpose was to describe the unique needs of special learners, formulate terminology, strategies to cultivate group diversity, specific te- aching methods, and curriculum planning methods while promoting strategies to reduce the learning gap between disabled and their piano teachers. Pino and Viladot (2019) stated that educators must adjust their activities and find appropriate stra- tegies to provide information to students. Mastering a piece of music is not merely copying or imitating the sound heard in a recording but deciphering and interpre- ting the detailed symbols in the musical notation. For this reason, Park (2015) held that students with visual impairment must use Braille music as a substitute for visual input, although it is not the best medium to represent music signals. Many students with visual impairment think Braille is a difficult medium to learn; it takes longer to process, and there are difficulties in obtai- ning Braille sheet music (Baker & Green, 2016). Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (2) (2023): 415-428422 The PERMA framework, introduced by positive psychologist Martin Seligman, delineates five fundamental components of happiness: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplish- ment (Seligman, 2011). The PERMA fra- mework is widely regarded as being inti- mately associated with human well-being (Goodman et al., 2018; Kern et al., 2015Se- ligman, 2018). The findings of this study demonstrate that piano teachers exhibit a favorable disposition and active engage- ment when instructing visually impaired pupils in piano lessons under the PERMA framework. These positive teaching emo- tions significantly enhance the parents’ and students’ excitement for learning, hence fostering students’ academic advan- cement and achievement. Numerous past studies have utilized the PERMA frame- work to investigate impaired individuals or students, hence playing a crucial role in examining the development of happiness among disabled students (Nebrida & Dul- las, 2018; Zuma, 2019). Using the PERMA framework, Tansey et al. (2018) discove- red that pleasure plays a moderating role in the connection between functional im- pairment and learning satisfaction. The researchers analyzed and discussed each component of the PERMA framework per the following research findings. First, in this study, the Positive emo- tion (P) demonstrates that the majority of those who participated in the interview expressed their optimism and enthusiasm regarding the piano instruction of blind students. Instructors with a wealth of ex- pertise instructing blind children have clai- med that their experiences would facilitate the children’s ability to master the piano. When they first began working as teachers, they remarked that they are incredibly ex- cited to teach since they are keenly awa- re of the obligations that come with the position. This kind of Positive emotions helped the enhancement of instructor- students relationships. Previous studies have verified that within the PERMA fra- mework, instructors’ favorable sentiments toward interactions with learners serve as the origin of their professional well-being (Lagina et al., 2022). Kossewska (2000) also found evidence supporting the result. She observed a favorable correlation between the level of empathy teachers displayed and children’s positive attitudes towards educational integration for those with im- pairments. Turner and Theilking (2021) employed the PERMA test to ascertain the beneficial influence of teachers’ positive teaching emotions on both teaching met- hodology and student academic progress. This aligns with a notable surge in the uti- lization of positive psychology techniques in professional environments to enhance overall well-being. Second, the Engagement (E) element indicated that when teachers were invol- ved with their students’ piano education, both parents and blind students experien- ced engagement as well, and both groups were more devoted. Teachers take part in the search for instructional resources and participate in the teaching process. This facilitates their piano learning, encoura- ges parent and blind student involvement, and increases their level of involvement. Children’s self-esteem, motivation, and enjoyment are improved with parental support as well as teacher input and in- fluence (McPherson et al., 2006). The fin- dings also indicate that high teacher enga- gement contributes to increased student and parent engagement. Previous research provides support for this result. Using the PERMA framework, Cardwell (2011) dis- covered that strong teacher involvement improved student progress and encoura- ged parent involvement as well. In addi- tion, Thang and Mahmud (2017) asserted that student involvement is a significant factor in evaluating teacher effectiveness and teacher engagement. However, this study could not find evidence supporting this claim. Third, the Relationships (R) show in the current study indicate that the use of games and active interaction in the class- room have reduced the distance between instructors and students, piqued their in- terest in learning the piano, and increased Jiang Xin et al., Teaching Piano to Blind Children: An Analysis of Positive Perceptions 423 student engagement. According to Lasky (2005), developing positive relationships with teachers helps students become more interested in studying and encourages the process of learning. It also helps the teach- ing process to move along smoothly when teachers act as friends to their students. Dewey (1986) believes that teachers have a very active part in their interactions with and instruction of their students. Additionally, the interaction bet- ween teachers, students, and their parents has improved as a result of learning the piano. Parents have more trust in teachers and more support for learning the piano. Macmillan (2004) stresses the significance of the relationship between teachers and parents, which is conducive to promoting piano learning. This study demonstra- ted that positive interaction relationships play a crucial role in enhancing teachers’ instructional practices and fostering stu- dents’ engagement in learning. In their study on PERMA, Lee et al. (2017) also emphasized the role of relationships in their research on PERMA. Cooperation and partnership among teachers, students, and parents are considered crucial aspects of music education. They feel that foste- ring relationships in music lessons can not only strengthen students’ abilities but also have a positive impact on their emotional well-being. Fourth, the Meaning (M) indicator can be improved by teaching blind piano to teachers. A feeling of meaning can be characterized as possessing a purposeful trajectory in life, harboring the belief that one’s existence holds significance, and establishing a connection with a higher entity outside oneself (Steger, 2012). Ac- cording to Goh et al. (2022), meaningful interactions and positive relationships ma- jorly mediate the road from happy emo- tions to achievement. Significance serves as a more potent intermediary than good connections. Nevertheless, the findings indicate that participating teachers have had initial challenges in their teaching due to a limited comprehension of the expec- tations of blind pupils and their parents. Fimian (1986)371, and 371 found that peer or supervisory support can be the key to regulating teacher stress. Piano teachers also feel a sense of professional mission and identity from teaching blind children. Pursuing specific career goals is crucial in developing a professional identity (Moore et al., 2020). Some participating teachers provided more in-depth thinking. They said that teaching this student populati- on changed their views on blind students and other disabled students. It is the mo- ral responsibility of educators to identify, confront, and change the oppressive views of the disabled through adult education (McLean, 2008). The study’s findings indi- cate that the act of teaching elicits a sense of responsibility among teachers and ge- nerates pressure associated with teaching. Nevertheless, most of the prior research focused on the concept of happiness. Kern et al. (2015) examined the PERMA model’s impact on adolescents. They discovered that, apart from the meaning domain, all four domains (positive emotions, enga- gement, relationships, and achievement) played a role in fostering happiness and other significant aspects of life and va- riables related to health and mental well- being. This observation was not mirrored in this investigation. Hence, it is advisable to thoroughly examine this topic in the fu- ture to assess the significance of its compo- nents more accurately in the instructional process of piano teachers with visually im- paired students. Finally, the findings indicate that teachers’ sense of accomplishment (A) is derived from the act of teaching. In the PERMA framework, the experience of achievement encompasses the feeling of exerting effort to attain a goal, attaining mastery, and demonstrating efficiency in job completion (Butler & Kern, 2016). Edu- cators are responsible for providing accu- rate information to students and are proud of being a reliable source of information (Taylor & Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2015). The participating teachers said that after their blind students achieved the predetermined interim objectives, they felt a sense of ac- Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (2) (2023): 415-428424 complishment. Zimmerman (2018) stated that teachers gain the satisfaction of being completely engaged in their profession when their identity development enables them to practice using their personal ta- lents. Hodge et al. (2009) found that they mostly assist students in succeeding out of a sense of accomplishment and satisfacti- on. Nevertheless, their opinions on how simple or difficult it is to teach students who have disabilities vary. This research is consistent with the teachers’ viewpoints on instructing visually challenged pupils in piano lessons, as observed in this study. Based on the findings, it seems that piano teachers derive their sense of achievement mostly from assisting special needs stu- dents in acquiring piano skills. The current research findings offer conclusive answers regarding the sense of accomplishment derived from instruction, specifically in terms of students’ improvement in piano playing skills. Hence, it is imperative to delve further into this matter in future in- vestigations. CONCLUSIONS The results finding revealed that participating teachers actively engaged in piano lessons for blind children, foste- red positive student-teacher interactions, met learning objectives in lessons, and had a feeling of purpose and accomplish- ment. This study investigated piano lear- ning of blind children in China using the PERMA framework (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, ac- complishment) in positive psychology. This research examined Chinese piano instructors’ professional preparation and emotions to discover the problems and obstacles encountered while instructing blind children. The findings revealed that piano instructors lack suitable teaching ex- pertise, tools, materials, and resources for working with blind students. Nonetheless, they have a supportive and responsible at- titude toward the blind children and better teacher-student connections through clas- sroom communication. This affirmative mood enhances the caliber of instruction. Furthermore, it enhances instructors’ sen- se of achievement and accountability in the instructional process, which in turn leads to increased teaching pressure. Alt- hough blind groups are identified as a special population, they should have op- portunities to enjoy learning piano. This will only occur if teachers are provided with needed resources and have a positive outlook. Teachers are responsible for pro- viding all students with appropriate teach- ing resources, comprehensive preparation, and responding to individual learning needs. The authors hope that this study can promote further research on piano te- aching for blind students and other special needs groups. This study assists teachers in remo- ving obstacles for blind students in their classrooms and assists in dispelling preva- lent myths and misunderstandings about this population. This research gathered and evaluated the data on instructors’ pre- paration in the teaching process of blind students. Some piano teachers had a ne- gative attitude towards blind pupils at the beginning of this study. This research ho- pes these teachers’ experiences will instill confidence in future instructors when te- aching piano to blind pupils. At the same time, the results of this research provide guidance to educators on how to avoid perpetuating negative stereotypes about blind children. The PERMA framework is seen as a model that promotes human well-being and augments happiness. The current rese- arch focuses on investigating the readiness and mindset of piano instructors in educa- ting visually impaired students using the PERMA framework. Further investigation and experimentation are needed to address the underlying challenges that blind indi- viduals will encounter when studying pia- no in the future. Prospective researchers have the option to employ qualitative or quantitative methodologies for gathering and examining data from piano instruc- tors who teach visually impaired students. Conducting studies encompassing diffe- Jiang Xin et al., Teaching Piano to Blind Children: An Analysis of Positive Perceptions 425 rent geographical regions and involving greater sample numbers is recommended. Furthermore, expanding research on piano education for individuals with visual im- pairments is imperative to encompass the realm of inclusive education. 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