Cultivating National and Cultural Identity through Music Education: Hong Kong Kindergarten Teachers’ Self-Efficacy, Perceptions, and Practices
The Hong Kong SAR government recently released the Values Education Curriculum Framework (Education Bureau, 2021), which identifies “national identity” as a priority value to be nurtured in school education, starting with early childhood education (ECE). The Education Bureau explicitly recognizes music education as an age-appropriate means to cultivate children’s understanding of and interest in Chinese culture, and recommends that kindergartens offer opportunities for children to engage in musical activities that embrace Chinese cultural elements.
Scholarship has established a strong connection between music education, cultural identity, national awareness, and national identity. However, in Hong Kong, early childhood teachers face challenges due to insufficient training in music education and a predominant background in Western music. This hinders their ability to effectively utilize music education in cultivating children's interest and knowledge in Chinese culture. As the first study focusing on the utilization of music education as a means to cultivate cultural identity and national awareness in Hong Kong's ECE, we aim to: (i) investigate teachers’ perceptions and self-efficacy in utilizing music education to nurture cultural identity and national awareness in children; (ii) examine current practices in utilizing music to foster children's interest and knowledge in Chinese culture; (iii) explore the necessary content knowledge, musical skills, and pedagogical competencies required by teachers to cultivate cultural identity and national awareness through music education.
This project will employ a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. The initial phase will involve a survey to gather teachers' perspectives on cultural and national identity education in ECE, and the role of music education in its implementation. The survey will also examine teacher self-efficacy, drawing on Bandura's self-efficacy theory. A cluster sampling approach will be used to distribute the questionnaire to kindergartens across Hong Kong. In Phase 2, a multiple-case study consisting of interviews and observations will be conducted in 12 purposively selected Hong Kong kindergartens.
Our findings will bridge an important gap in theoretical and professional knowledge by offering a scholarly understanding of how music education may cultivate cultural identity and national awareness in ECE. Moreover, the results will provide evidence-based recommendations to teacher education institutions on developing teacher training frameworks that address the pressing professional needs of kindergarten teachers, with broader implications for various study areas within ECE that are tasked with national education. Ultimately, the project's outcomes may inform future policymaking of cultural and national education—a significant policy agenda in Hong Kong.
