EXPLORING THE MUSICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF QIANG CHILDREN’S SONGS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF EDUCATOR’S AND MUSICIANS’ PERSPECTIVE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJMOE.830010Keywords:
Classroom Engagement, Cultural Awareness, Ethnic Music, Musical Characteristics, Pedagogical Value, Primary Music Education, Qiang Children’s SongAbstract
This paper discusses the musical features of the song of the Qiang children and its educational benefit in the primary school music education in China. Although the significance of culturally responsive music education is not underestimated, the role of Qiang musical traditions in systematic schooling has not been studied sufficiently. The study adopts a qualitative research design and will be based on semi-structured interviews with five purposively chosen respondents, including Qiang folk musicians and primary school music teachers who have had direct experience in traditional music practices and classroom teaching. The thematic analysis approach based on the strategy suggested by Braun and Clarke (2006) was used to analyse data: familiarisation, coding, theme development, and refinement. This approach has allowed exploring the profound meaning of both musical and pedagogical aspects in the songs of Qiang children. It is found that such songs are defined by pentatonic scales, small pitch ranges, repetitive rhythms, and simple melodies, which coincide with the vocal and cognitive levels of development of children. Other than the structural properties, their contribution to cultural narratives is noted to build on identity and cultural awareness among the young learners. Pedagogically, respondents highlighted their efficiency in increasing student engagement, collaborative learning, and helping to develop basic musical skills. The study, however, also points to situational difficulties such as inadequate access to teaching materials, a lack of training of teachers to teach ethnic music, and the limitation on formal curricula. Offering empirically based information on the musical and educational aspects, this research paper will be useful to the emerging discussion about culturally inclusive music education and provide practical implications to the inclusion of indigenous musical traditions into the primary school curricula.
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