The Integration of Nanyin ("Three Thousand Taels of Gold") into Family Music Education: A Curriculum and Instructional Perspective

Abstract

This study developed and evaluated a family music education program that integrates Quanzhou Nanyin, particularly the traditional piece "Three Thousand Taels of Gold," into parent-child learning. The research addressed two persistent problems in family music education: the dominance of Western and popular musical materials and parents' limited access to practical, non-specialist teaching methods. A qualitative-led sequential design was employed, supplemented by descriptive quantitative data. A preliminary online survey obtained 120 valid responses from parents of primary school children in Quanzhou, Fujian Province. On the basis of the needs analysis, three volunteer families were purposively selected for an approximately six-to-eight-hour Nanyin program designed through the ADDIE process and informed by Tyler's and Taba's curriculum models, Gordon's music learning theory, Heathcote's drama pedagogy, and Shuter-Dyson's account of children's musical development. Data were collected through a family music education questionnaire, a 14-item parental attitude scale (used descriptively), structured observation records, semi-structured interviews, and a satisfaction survey. Quantitative data were summarized with descriptive statistics; qualitative evidence was analyzed thematically and triangulated across observations, interviews, and artifacts. Among the six participating parents, the overall attitude mean increased from 3.19 to 4.50 on a five-point scale. Observation and interview evidence indicated stronger parent-child cooperation, higher musical engagement, improved knowledge of Nanyin, and greater willingness to continue traditional music activities at home. The findings support the feasibility of transforming intangible cultural heritage into structured, playful, and age-responsive family learning, while the small sample and short intervention require cautious interpretation and further validation.