Chinese music teachers’ perceptions and interpretations of student-centered education: A multiple case study

Student-Centered Education (SCE), based on constructivist theory, is a worldwide popular learning approach (Schweisfurth, 2013). By promoting effective learning, constructing positive learning environments, and developing students’ social skills, SCE has also won applause from many regions in the world (Bautista et al., 2018; Sin, 2015; Wiggins, 2015). However, could SCE be interpreted in multiple perspectives rather than a standardized criterion? From this thinking, Bremner (2020) conducted a meta-analysis of literature and provided six domain categories for interpreting the meaning of SCE. He further suggested that the multiple voices of understanding SCE should be heard through different contexts.

Since SCE has been included in China’s national music curriculum standards, this study followed Bremner’s (2020) framework and used a multiple case study research method to investigate China music teachers’ interpretation of SCE. Six teachers from the latest Guangdong Music Class Demonstration Event (GMCDE) were invited as participants. Due to their nature as modeling quality music instruction, these demonstration lessons have a close alignment with the national curriculum. Accordingly, data from this study were collected from mainly two sources: observation and interview. Non-participant observation was firstly applied for understanding how teachers physically implement SCE. Later, semi-structured interviews were conducted for gaining participants’ perceptions towards SCE. Lesson plans were also collected as supporting documents to understand how SCE lessons were planned.

Findings illustrated two aspects. According to Bremner’s framework, participants emphasized SCE as Active Participation. Less attention has been made to Autonomy, whereas Relevant Skills, Formative Assessment and Power Sharing have not been found at all. Also, 43 although Adapting to Needs has been mentioned by teachers, it significantly referred to concerns about students’ learning interests and motivations rather than prior knowledge and experiences. On the other hand, the inconsistency between participants’ SCE implementation and the requirements from national documents also reveals a “theory to practice” issue. More professional developments and broader perspectives of understanding SCE, referring to other regions’ lesson implementation, might help China music teachers to better support students’ whole-person development.

This study provided a unique lens for the interpretations of SCE from China context. It supports Bremner’s research and makes the contextual consideration of SCE more adaptable in a broader perspective. Copyright © 2022 International Society for Music Education.