Page 50 - DP-1-1

Design+ Multimodality in art teacher education in China

4.1. Developments and reform 4.2. Issues facing art teacher education in China

The common perception of art education is that it is Despite the high aspirations of state-directed policies,
solely related to visual arts, but the scope of art education there has been criticism of art education in China for
in China is far-ranging. Art education is systematically being ineffective in promoting esthetics and fostering
offered at three levels: professional art education, amateur creativity in students. Art education was made compulsory
art education in colleges and universities, and compulsory in schools to provide opportunities for every Chinese
school art education, spanning 9 years from the elementary citizen to experience the moral and creative benefits of art.
to junior middle school levels. Art education in China However, there is a sense of forced mechanism when art is
1
encompasses various components, such as “synthetic arts, both compulsory and still examination-oriented. 1,45
including painting, sculpture, music, and dance”. 1,p.143 The Moreover, creativity is often not promoted for its
prominence of art education in modern China is largely own intrinsic value but rather to increase economic
due to the School Art Educational Work Regulations in competitiveness and nurture employable skills. In
46
2002, which formally incorporated art education into the classroom settings, the focus tends to be on art as a product
curricula of primary, secondary, and higher education, and rather than as a process involving problem-solving and
included art assessment in overall student assessments. critical thinking skills. As a result, the creative process,
10
Recent government initiatives, such as the Opinions on which frequently requires disruption and chaos, may be
Comprehensively Strengthening and Improving School discouraged in classroom learning. The lack of creativity in
10
Aesthetic Education in the New Era, continue to emphasize Chinese art education remains a concern despite the growing
the expansion of art education across all levels of study and number of researchers conducting creativity experiments.
1
society. To achieve the goal of universal art education, Niu and Sternberg, for instance, compared art students at
38
46
mandatory in-service teacher training has been in force Peking University with those at Yale University and found
since the National Plan for School Art Education (2001 – that the artistic works of American students were much
2010), which planned training at national, provincial, and more innovative than those of Chinese students. The policy-
local levels. 1 driven integration of technology into art education further
Art education is also subject to the demands of complicates the issue of creativity because students need to
technological integration, much like other aspects of learn how to create using digital tools. 8
education in China. For example, the Opinions of the There is also a strong awareness that the national
Ministry of Education on Promoting the Development identity of art education in China requires greater
of Arts Education in Schools state that art teachers are attention. Researchers have highlighted that mimicking
responsible for integrating information technology into Western models of creativity and design processes is
art education and delivering high-quality art education ineffective for China. Future research needs to address
resources to remote rural schools through open and the conceptualization and development of a distinct
flexible platforms. 44 national identity in Chinese art education, especially since
Since the implementation of the National Plan for there is a lack of empirical research in the Asian region.
10
School Art Education in 2001, the curriculum focus of Practitioners are encouraged to develop a national identity
art education in China has been on “active learning” and while raising awareness of multicultural aspects from a
“creativity.” The National Standard for Art Education in global perspective. 8
1
the Compulsory Stage aims to cultivate abilities in students Art teacher education in China also faces challenges
from grades one to nine: “feeling and experiencing, related to the quality and professionalism of art educators.
creating and expressing, reflecting and commenting.” 1,p.153 The explosive growth of art schools has had negative
Under the recently promoted principle of “strengthen effects, leading to concerns about the standards of
42
moral education for cultivating people,” art education has curricula and teaching quality. Issues such as the lack
45
been identified as the prime subject for cultivating moral of e-learning integration, professionalism, passion, and
values. 28 practical awareness that affect general teacher education
In summary, art education in China has rapidly are also relevant to the education and training of art
expanded to various levels of study and has taken a teachers. 37,39,40 Specifically in art education, proposed
prominent position in the national curriculum. The teaching models should innovate by integrating theory and
challenge for reformers of art teacher education is to practice while sustaining traditional cultures. With regard
8
continue exploring methods to enhance creativity, integrate to innovation, experts recommend that art teachers draw
technology into teaching and learning, and strengthen inspiration not only from traditional Chinese art but also
moral education through art. from contemporary global art. 8

Volume 1 Issue 1 (2024) 6 doi: 10.36922/dp.4554