Secondary school students’ preferences for popular music and perceptions of popular music learned in school music education in Mainland China

Abstract

This study examined popular music and school music education as cultural constructs of teenage students amid the shifting cultural and social dynamics of contemporary China. Data were drawn from questionnaires completed by 6,780 secondary students (mainly ages 12 through 17) from three cities—Beijing, Changsha, and Shanghai. The survey results revealed the extent of Chinese youths’ preferences for a variety of popular music styles in their daily lives, the relationship between their preference for popular idols and their music learning, and their views on learning popular music in school music education. The discussion in this article focuses on the dynamics of teaching popular music and learning other music styles (not limited to either popular or classical music) within the school environment in relation to teenage students’ daily music experiences and school music learning, school music teachers, and teacher education in contemporary China.