Exploring parental involvement in children’s music education experience: An intrinsic case study of urban left-behind children parents in Nanchang, China

Siyu Long; Ziqiao Lin; Zixue Zhang

doi:10.5216/mh.v25.82609

Authors

Siyu Long Jiangxi Industry Polytechnic College, Nanchang city, China, 411750773@qq.com https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7203-5833
Ziqiao Lin Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Chengdu City, China, gs60231@student.upm.edu.my https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3559-5599
Zixue Zhang Department of Music, Universiti Putra Malaysia, zzx22301@163.com https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3649-2550

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/mh.v25.82609

Keywords:

urban left-behind children parents, parental involvement, music course, qualitative case study, thematic analysis

Abstract

To secure stable financial support, some parents leave their children at home and work in thriving urban areas. These parents, known as urban left-behind children (ULBC) parents, are separated from their children for extended periods and have limited parent-child interaction, which can lead to fragile and sensitive mental health in their children. While learning music can positively influence their mental health, yet it is challenging for children to engage in music education without parental involvement and support. Previous research on parental involvement has primarily focused on the musical engagement of children by general parents, with limited attention given to the musical parenting experiences of ULBC parents. This study employed a qualitative intrinsic case study design to explore ULBC parents’ experiences of musical parenting. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, instructional documents, and participant observation with 12 ULBC parents from Nanchang, China, and analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from this study: 1) parents’ experiences of involvement; 2) challenges faced by parents, and 3) parents’ roles and responsibilities. This study addresses a gap in research on ULBC participation in children’s music education and provides parents in similar situations with an opportunity to become more engaged in their children’s music courses.

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Author Biographies

Siyu Long, Jiangxi Industry Polytechnic College, Nanchang city, China, 411750773@qq.com

Siyu Long is a lecturer at Jiangxi Industry Polytechnic College. She graduated from the Department of Music, Universiti Putra Malaysia. She holds a master’s degree from Jiangxi Normal University and a bachelor’s degree from Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University. She previously worked as a music teacher in a primary school for 6 years and has therefore gained a wealth of experience as a primary school music teacher. Her research areas are music education and ethnomusicology.

Ziqiao Lin, Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Chengdu City, China, gs60231@student.upm.edu.my

Ziqiao Lin is a researcher in ethnomusicology and cultural heritage studies, specializing in Chinese traditional music and intangible cultural heritage. He holds a PhD in Music from Universiti Putra Malaysia, where he examined the coexistence of tradition and modernity in the transmission of Teochew opera in Malaysia. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Sichuan Conservatory of Music, focusing on folk songs, ritual soundscapes, and regional operatic traditions. His research interests include safeguarding endangered musical forms, intercultural identity through performance, and the relationship between heritage policy and community practice.

Zixue Zhang, Department of Music, Universiti Putra Malaysia, zzx22301@163.com

Zhang, a Guo Gao Academy of Information Technology Industry researcher, is currently pursuing a PhD at Universiti Putra Malaysia. She previously served as a lecturer at Jinan University in Shandong Province, where she gained extensive higher-education teaching and research experience. She holds a master’s degree from Jinan University and a bachelor’s degree from Shandong Sport University. Her research focuses on integrating electronic music composition techniques with elements of ethnic music.