Nurturing Chinese music students’ cultural identity through teaching and learning Chinese piano repertoires in a university setting in Guangdong, China

Taoying WEI

Research output: ThesisDoctoral Theses

Abstract

Nurturing students’ cultural identity has become one of the most critical tasks in the Chinese educational system. However, the existing studies rarely mentioned how to nurture music students’ cultural identity through teaching and learning Chinese piano repertoires, and these studies also barely offered efficient pedagogies for examining teachers’ and students’ experiences with reflections linking to Chinese culture and piano interpretations. This research explores the phenomena of nurturing music students’ cultural identity by teaching and learning Chinese piano repertoires in Chinese universities from both piano teachers’ and students’ perspectives, aiming to propose a teaching approach for future practices.

In this study, the scope of cultural identity is primarily focused on individuals’ understanding of Chinese culture, forming personal musical interpretations connected to Chinese piano repertoires’ teaching and learning. The nurture of cultural identity is explored through an empirical process to strengthen individuals’ musical understanding and acceptance of Chinese culture (thinking style, aesthetic of performance and appreciation, music values) from performing to listening, concerning the knowledge from teaching and learning of Chinese piano repertoires.

The study was launched in two phases to answer two research questions. In Phase I, a three-round Delphi survey was adopted, and ten piano teachers from universities were invited to share their thoughts and implementations on performance and pedagogy related to Chinese piano repertoires’ learning and teaching experience, with a particular concern on Chinese cultural influence. The three-round Delphi survey had reached a consensus with ten elements that mapped out a strategic path for integrating cultural awareness within the teaching of Chinese piano repertoires.

Phase II was an empirical study in a Chinese university setting with four piano majors. The teaching framework was based on the findings from Phase I, and the results indicated that a comprehensive framework in nurturing students’ cultural identity through Chinese piano repertoires involves a holistic approach that transcends technical mastery to include emotional engagement, cultural understanding, and creative interpretation.

All these two-phase data analyses mainly adopted Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, which aimed to understand the meaning and sense-making from participants’ points of view. The inductive analysis underly double hermeneutic in the IPA process attempted to describe and interpret how participants think about cultural practices through Chinese piano repertoires, interpreted from participants’ answers primarily focused on personal expressions and emotions.

This study responds to the Chinese educational policy in nurturing Chinese culture, and the nurturing of cultural identity through music teaching and learning also benefits the development of Chinese piano education that aligns with the broader educational objective of nurturing students with cultural competence in a diverse and interconnected global community. All rights reserved.
Original languageEnglish
QualificationDoctor of Education
Awarding Institution
  • The Education University of Hong Kong
Supervisors/Advisors
  • LEUNG, Bo Wah 梁寶華, Supervisor
  • MATSUNOBU, Koji 松信浩二, Supervisor
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Keywords

  • Cultural Identity
  • Chinese Piano Repertoires
  • Chinese Cultural Context
  • University Setting
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Education University of Hong Kong, 2024.

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