ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
China has prioritised art education for middle school students in promoting quality-oriented education and implementing pedagogical reforms. Promoted by the Chinese Government, music education in urban schools has developed rapidly in certain districts. In contrast, educational resources are uneven, resulting in slow—or even stagnant—development of music education in rural schools. This has led to a widening gap between urban and rural areas regarding the level of music teaching and its effectiveness. Based on this issue, the study is conducted from the perspective of educational equity, taking the researcher's participation and observation during the teaching practice in Chishan Middle School in Laiyang City, Shandong Province, China, as an example. Combined with the relevant data obtained from the questionnaire survey, the study analyses the current situation and problems of music education for disadvantaged groups in rural China, identifies the gaps in music education between urban and rural areas in China, and proposes corresponding solutions on how to achieve equality in education between urban and rural areas.
Adderly, C., Kennedy, M., & Berz, W. (2003). A home away from home: The wo school music classroom. Journal of Research in Music Education. 51(3), 190–205.
Carl Orff (German composer) (n.d.). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/431845/Carl-Orff.
Gao, X. (2007). Participate in Music Practice and gain Aesthetic Experience [J]. Music Education in Primary and Secondary Schools, 2007 (07): 8–9.
Luo, T., & Yang, Z. (2020). In-depth study on the integration of Orff music teaching method and music teaching in normal colleges——Review (Research on the localisation of Orff music teaching method) [J]. Chinese Journal of Education, 2020 (01): 121.
Shen, C.J. (2019). Strategies for Establishing and Improving High School Music Clubs [J]. Art Evaluation, 2019 (08): 171–172.
Tejada, J. & Thayer, J. (2019). Design and validation of a music technology course for initial music teacher education based on the TPACK Model and the Project-Based Learning approach. Journal of Music, Technology, and Education, 12, 3. 225-246 doi:10.1386/jmte_00008_1 (Pre-print version).
Tu, H. A. (2014). Building a Bridge to Art Aesthetics—A Study on the Application of Music "Double Bases” in Music Classroom Activities in Rural High Schools in China [J]. Art Education, 2014 (07): 80–81.
Virginia, W. D. (2009). Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Winter, 2009, No. 179 (Winter, 2009), pp. 61-77.
Wang, S. (2020). The Combination of Singing Teaching and Demonstration Teaching Method in Middle School Classroom [J]. Art Evaluation, 2020 (06): 111–112.
Wu, Y. J. (2020). A Brief Discussion on Cooperative Learning with Music Situation in Music Teaching [J]. Educational Practice and Research, 2020 (01): 63–64.
Xu, P. (2020). A Brief Discussion on the Application of Multiple Methods in Music Teaching in Junior High Schools [J]. Drama House, 2020 (07): 163.
Zhang, Z., & Sui, X. (2019). The Current Situation and Improvement Countermeasures of Music Education in Rural Primary and Secondary Schools in China under the New Curriculum Reform [J]. Art Research, 2019 (05): 106–107.
Zheng, W. W. (2020). Research on the Application of Momentum Rhythm in Music Teaching in Junior Middle Schools [J]. Art Education, 2020 (03): 41–44.
Zhou, Z. (2020). On the Cultivation of Musical Sensation in Junior Middle School Music Teaching and the Teaching Mode of Appreciation Classes [J]. Art Evaluation, 2020 (01): 95-96+163.
Yunxuan, L., & Razali, C. S. M. M. (2026). Analysis of the Current Situation of Music Education in Rural Middle Schools in China from the Perspective of Educational Equity: An Example from Chishang Middle School in Laiyang. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 15(2), 734–746.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode