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Cited by 108Diverse Music Education InsightsMusic Education and AnalysisArt Education and Development

A systematic literature review of Chinese music education studies during 2007 to 2019

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Yang, Yang, Welch, Graham·2023·International Journal of Music Education
DOI 10.1177/02557614221096150
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Abstract

Based on findings from a large meta-data-based literature survey, this article is intended to provide a comprehensive synthesis of key features of China’s music education system as seen through the lens of n = 116 major research studies, drawn from a total of N = 3,257 high-impact Chinese journal articles published during 2007 to 2019. The synthesis suggests that (1) education reform, aesthetic education, Chinese traditional music and cultural identity were found to be the most prominent topics across all levels of formal music education; and (2) in most studies, government financial support, policy priorities, curriculum enforcement and paedagogical innovation are proposed as general cures to address perceptions of an unsatisfactory situation within music education. However, (3) by relating these findings to national statistics, a clear gap is identified between several research studies and actual social contexts, suggesting a possible deviation of academic communities from realistic educational and social challenges. Thus, external validity issues related to these studies are also discussed critically, along with their potential influence on views of what counts as Chinese music education in domestic and international research communities.

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  • Existing literature has mainly focused on urban-rural divides while ignoring substantial intra-provincial disparities in the quality of music education between economically advanced and disadvantaged areas.

    “Existing literature has mainly focused on urban-rural divides, while ignoring the substantial intra-provincial disparities in the quality of music education between economically advanced and disadvantaged areas [8].”

    From Attitudes and Behaviors toward traditional music among Chinese students: the role of individual, family, and school factors (2026) · cites this paper as [8]

    The Discussion reports that most empirical studies sampled economically developed areas of Eastern and Central China and warns that regional differences limit how broadly their findings apply. It does not say the literature mainly focuses on urban–rural divides or establish that it ignores substantial disparities in music-education quality within provinces. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Authors
Yang, Y., & Welch, G.
Affiliations
  • Education University of Hong Kong (HK)
  • University College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Yang, Yang
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Music Education
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2022-05-09
Volume
41
Issue
2
Pages
175-198
ISSN
  • 0255-7614 (ISSN-L)
  • 1744-795X
DOI
10.1177/02557614221096150
OpenAlex
W4229372974
Cited by
108
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 39 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2
FWCI
15.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • International Journal of Music Education (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Music › Diverse Music Education Insights
  • Social Sciences › Education › Music Education and Analysis
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Visual Arts and Performing Arts › Art Education and Development
Keywords
Chinese music education, music education reform, aesthetic education, Chinese traditional music, cultural identity, educational innovation, generalizability, research-practice gap

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