From Shared Histories to Divergent Futures: A Comparative Analysis of Music Curriculum Policy in China and South Korea

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Abstract

This study compares China’s 2022 Arts Curriculum Standards and South Korea’s 2022 Music Curriculum to explore how both countries balance global competency-based trends with local cultural contexts. Drawing on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and Bereday’s comparative method, the research analyzes curriculum goals, content, pedagogical practices, and structural evolution. Official curriculum documents serve as primary sources. Findings indicate that while both frameworks integrate listening, performing, and creating, China emphasizes aesthetic education and cultural identity through explicit connection tasks, whereas Korea prioritizes student agency and digital adaptability. This comparative study contributes nuanced evidence on how East Asian music curricula navigate tensions between global skill demands and cultural reproduction, offering insights for curriculum policy and music education design in diverse contexts.

Author

• ZITONG LI, Ulsan of university