CONSTRUCTING A COURSE OF RUAN IN BEIJING JUNIOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS, CHINA

Abstract

In the context of global education, there is a growing recognition of the importance of preserving and revitalizing traditional cultural arts within modern curricula. As societies strive to maintain cultural heritage in an increasingly globalized world, music education serves as a powerful medium for cultural transmission. Traditional Chinese instruments like the Ruan, a plucked string instrument with over two thousand years of history, play a vital role in connecting younger generations to their cultural identity. This research aimed to integrate traditional music into contemporary education by focusing on Ruan performance instruction for junior middle school students in Beijing’s Haidian District. The objectives of this research were: (1) to study current Ruan music teaching methods; (2) to construct a Ruan performance textbook specifically for junior middle school students; (3) to conduct experimental teaching using the textbook in Haidian District junior high schools; and (4) to evaluate the effectiveness of the Ruan elective course. A mixed-methods research design was employed. The population included 10 junior middle schools in Haidian District, comprising 10,311 students across grades 7–9, with a sample size of 3,437 grade 7 students selected through random sampling. Key informants—Wang Shaowei, Guo Rang, and Wu Sha—were chosen via purposive sampling. Data collection tools included interview forms, observation forms, OC forms, and evaluation instruments such as formative and summative tests. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings were as follows: (1) The study of Ruan teaching methods indicated that the instrument effectively enhances student musical skills and supports the integration of traditional music into modern education. (2) The constructed textbook served as a culturally grounded and pedagogically structured resource, fostering the preservation of traditional arts. (3) Teaching experiments confirmed the textbook’s practicality, demonstrating that structured Ruan instruction encourages both technical development and cultural engagement. (4) The evaluation of the elective course showed that combining formative and summative assessments verified the course’s effectiveness in improving students' performance skills, interpretive ability, and cultural awareness. These results support the broader goal of nurturing cultural identity through formal music education in junior middle schools.