This study aimed to examine the current status of teaching/learning methods of Korean traditional music education, suggest ways to further develop this field, and provide detailed research directions based on a research trend analysis. To do so, 262 d...
This study aimed to examine the current status of teaching/learning methods of Korean traditional music education, suggest ways to further develop this field, and provide detailed research directions based on a research trend analysis. To do so, 262 doctoral dissertations and academic journal articles published in 2000–2019 were selected and classified by period, research method, research topic, and research conclusion, and analysed through a qualitative meta-analysis.
Looking at the analysis results by period. First, the research results on this topic have increased quantitatively since 2009, when the curriculum was reorganized. Second, the average number of doctoral dissertations published per year is 0.85, which indicates that little attention has been paid to this area of research. This can be interpreted to mean that most universities do not have a long history of doctoral programs, suggesting insufficient training of professional researchers in this field. The annual average number of academic journal articles is 12.25. It has increased significantly since 2008. This seems to be due to the revitalized discussion on teaching/learning methods of Korean traditional music in various academic journals following the reorganization of the music curriculum in 2007. Third, the number of researchers analyzing this topic is small, so it is necessary to foster specialists in this area. Fourth, as the proportion of creative music in education has increased since 2009, the research on this area seems to be changing as the curriculum is revised. In addition, studies on creative Korean traditional music education programs for small children have also recently emerged. Fifth, with the curriculum revision, research has been increasing since 2015 to expand the scope of special-purpose and web-based teaching/learning methods. Sixth, quantitative studies based on positivism are on the rise. Seventh, since 2009, research that had focused on Western-style teaching/learning methods has changed to studies focused on Korean traditional music education. Although existing studies were conducted with Western teaching/learning methods as a theoretical basis, a new research strain began emerging with the 2009 curriculum reform focusing on the original purpose of Korean traditional education and the fundamental difference in teaching/learning methods between Western and Korean traditional music.
Regarding the analysis results by research method, “literature reviews” account for the largest portion, with 200 articles (76.3%). Most of the qualitative research is focused on literature reviews; this calls for the diversification of research methods. It is also expected that quantitative research on preschoolers, including toddlers will increase.
The analysis results by research topics are as follows: First, qualitative research has mainly focused on textbooks through literature reviews, specifically on academic-centered textbooks that form the basis of teaching/learning in Korean traditional music education. Research on instructional plans and curricula has been continuously studied. Second, there is a large difference in the number of qualitative and quantitative studies. The scarcity of quantitative research shows the limitations of research methods for experiments and surveys. This can also be interpreted as a result of the discontinuity of subsequent studies due to the lack of prior research. Third, studies are observational and center on preschool children and elementary school students for practical field purposes.
The research conclusions were also analyzed. First, “describing phenomena” occupies the largest portion accounted for 18.3% (48 articles). Since the 2015 curriculum reform, research record have emerged the most, and are continuously expanding in quantity. Studies on the curriculum reflecting the reforms in 2009 and 2015 have increased, and studies on instructional plans using storytelling and visual thinking methods have also emerged. Second, the largest proportion, 168 articles (64.1%), covered “finding alternatives.” Third, there were 46 articles (17.5%) focusing on “field applicability.” Since the 2009 music department curriculum revision, the proportion of experimental quantitative research as a whole has increased, and a change in research methods is clearly visible.
The implication of this study is the first attempt to analyze the trend of teaching/learning methods of Korean traditional music education using a qualitative meta-analysis, and thus establishes the academic foundation in this area. A research analysis framework and detailed analysis model were presented to derive the research trends of this topic based on the qualitative meta-analysis. In addition, a new foundation was suggested that future research in this field more clearly present the scope of research and research topics.
The author believes that this research will contribute to the existing body of studies on the trends of Korean traditional music education. And It suggests the need to change the teaching/learning methods of this topic in accordance with social change. Furthermore, it recognizes the difference between Korean traditional music and Western music and describes the importance of developing a specific teaching/learning method for Korean traditional music education. It also advocates research implications for the importance of teaching/learning methods based on creative and interdisciplinary thinking.