Guardians of Music Education in Township Schools: A Study on Teachers’ Professional Identity and Development

Abstract

More than half of music teachers in China work in township schools. Among them, music teachers in township senior high schools occupy a particularly distinctive position: they are required to teach regular classes while simultaneously undertaking the training of students preparing for music-related entrance examinations. Taking the question “Who are they?” as its point of departure, this study adopts a narrative inquiry approach and draws on in-depth interviews with two female music teachers from a township senior high school.

By retracing their personal educational trajectories and everyday teaching practices, the study presents a grounded portrayal of township music education under real-world pressures. The findings indicate that, within constrained conditions, these teachers sustain the meaning of music education in different ways. They are not only transmitters of musical knowledge and cultural tradition, but also guardians who accompany students along their paths of growth.

By listening closely to teachers’ narratives, this paper seeks to reveal the internal processes through which professional identity is constructed among township music teachers, and calls for renewed scholarly attention to the often-overlooked experiences of grassroots music educators.