First Advisor

Kauffman, Deborah

First Committee Member

Contreras, Logan

Second Committee Member

Chapin, Janis Clelyn

Third Committee Member

Paek, Sue Hyeon

Degree Name

Doctor of Arts

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

12-2025

Department

College of Performing and Visual Arts, Music, Music Student Work

Abstract

Social and emotional learning has become increasingly important in recent years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. The mental health and emotional well-being of students have received unprecedented attention. However, in China, social and emotional learning is still a relatively new concept. High school students are in a critical period for self-identification and the development of values. Academic competition and peer comparisons have increased significantly, making them more in need of systematic, operational SEL support. Music, as a “natural carrier” of emotions, can externalize, identify, and regulate individual emotions, and can also cultivate empathy and relationship skills in collaborative settings such as a choir or ensemble. Thus, high school music classrooms provide an important context for implementing and cultivating social and emotional learning. The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to explore how high school music teachers in Shandong Province, understand social and emotional learning and describe the ways they align social and emotional learning competencies with their music instruction. Four research questions guided this study: (Q1) What understanding do Shandong Province high school music teachers hold regarding social and emotional learning? (Q2) In what ways do these teachers describe aligning social and emotional learning competencies with music instruction? (Q3) What strategies and methods have they adopted in teaching practice to cultivate or develop students’ social and emotional learning–related abilities? and (Q4) What are the main challenges and supporting factors during the implementation of social and emotional learning in high school music courses? The study adopted a qualitative research design and employed a collective case study method, drawing on semi-structured interviews and two classroom observations with six high school music teachers in Shandong Province. The data were analyzed through within-case and cross-case thematic analysis to identify patterns in teachers’ conceptions and practices. Findings showed that the interviewed teachers generally recognized the educational value of SEL and attempted to incorporate SEL content into the classroom through such methods as contextualized creation, cooperative performances, and aesthetic experiences. However, teachers’ professional understanding of SEL varies; teaching resources and policy support are limited; and the curriculum evaluation system still emphasizes examinations, hindering the in-depth integration and sustainable development of SEL. The research aims to conduct a preliminary exploration of emotional education in high school music courses in China and to provide theoretical support and practical inspiration for subsequent educational reforms, thereby promoting the comprehensive improvement of students’ social-emotional literacy.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Extent

148 pages

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

Digital Origin

Born digital

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