Author ORCID Identifier
Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
DMA
College
College of Creative Arts
Department
School of Music
Committee Chair
Lucy Mauro
Committee Co-Chair
Peter Amstutz
Committee Member
Peter Amstutz
Committee Member
William Haller
Committee Member
General Hambrick
Abstract
This research demonstrates the importance of critical thinking in piano education. Grounded in the philosophical framework of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, it explains how “dialogue” can be used to establish a collaborative teacher-student relationship. Through “praxis,” which is the integration of reflection and action, students and teachers can break free from “limit situations,” the structural constraints of reality, leading to evolution and creation.
By conducting interviews with piano teachers and students from diverse backgrounds, this research examines the differences between Western and Chinese piano education and some universal phenomena within piano pedagogy. Based on the interview findings, the research analyzes these phenomena from historical, cultural, and philosophical perspectives, explaining their underlying causes. Furthermore, it provides practical suggestions for fostering critical thinking in piano education.
Recommended Citation
Tong, Xiaozhen, "East and West Meet: Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Piano Students Based on Chinese and Western Pedagogy" (2025). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12778.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12778