TY - JOUR
T1 - An analysis of music textbooks: insights into citizenship education in China
AU - Ho, Wai-Chung
N1 - Publisher copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
PY - 2025/1/25
Y1 - 2025/1/25
N2 - This article examines the integration of citizenship education into school music education in China, highlighting the influence of state control and political ideology. It focuses on three key areas: the historical context of embedding citizenship values in music education, the regulation of music textbooks, and the promotion of citizenship through official song singing. By analysing selected songs from state-approved textbooks, the study reveals themes of love, harmony, and unity that foster a sense of belonging and identity across family, school, national, and global contexts. While the findings indicate that state-led citizenship education can effectively cultivate these values, it is essential to balance ideological alignment with opportunities for open dialogue among students. This balanced approach is crucial for preparing students to engage actively in a complex and interconnected world. Further research into teachers’ and students’ perceptions of citizenship education is needed to evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of this framework in shaping citizenship in China.
AB - This article examines the integration of citizenship education into school music education in China, highlighting the influence of state control and political ideology. It focuses on three key areas: the historical context of embedding citizenship values in music education, the regulation of music textbooks, and the promotion of citizenship through official song singing. By analysing selected songs from state-approved textbooks, the study reveals themes of love, harmony, and unity that foster a sense of belonging and identity across family, school, national, and global contexts. While the findings indicate that state-led citizenship education can effectively cultivate these values, it is essential to balance ideological alignment with opportunities for open dialogue among students. This balanced approach is crucial for preparing students to engage actively in a complex and interconnected world. Further research into teachers’ and students’ perceptions of citizenship education is needed to evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of this framework in shaping citizenship in China.
KW - Citizenship education
KW - singing songs
KW - China
U2 - 10.1080/14613808.2025.2454632
DO - 10.1080/14613808.2025.2454632
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1461-3808
SP - 1
EP - 17
JO - Music Education Research
JF - Music Education Research
ER -