Building an evaluation index system of musical collaborative capacity for China’s compulsory music education: Using a combined Delphi method and Analytic Hierarchy Process approach

The latest version of China’s National Compulsory Education Curriculum Programme and Standards 2022 (hereafter CECPS 2022) emphasises the cultivation of students’ collaborative capacities, mentioning ‘carrying out the core literacy effectively’. From the perspective of music education, this study summarises the requirements for collaborative activities in compulsory courses of the music discipline within CECPS 2022 in the light of Social Interdependence Theory, and builds an Evaluation Index System of Collaborative Capacity (hereafter EISMCC) by employing the Delphi method and an Analytic Hierarchy Process approach. After 3 rounds of expert consultations and revisions, it was found that EISMCC in compulsory music education is comprised of 3 first-level indices, 7 second-level indices and 20 third-level indices. The index framework and the results of the weight distribution with reliable quality reflect the experts’ emphasis on the process, goal orientation and synergistic interaction of collaborative activities in music learning. The whole system considers people’s general understanding of collaborative capacity, the calls within CECPS 2022 for collaborative music activities, and the practical demands of music teaching in compulsory education. This study provides a theoretical basis, a design process paradigm, practical guidance and a valid tool for the evaluation of collaborative capacity in compulsory education. Copyright © 2024 The Author(s).