Present State of Teaching Chinese Mural Painting: Basis for an Enrichment Plan

Chinese mural painting is a means for Chinese people to communicate their philosophical, religious, moral, political, and artistic views on the arts, nature, and society. It is therefore essential to conserve and transmit this cultural knowledge over the generations. Hence, the intention of this study to determine the present state of teaching Chinese mural painting in China. Specifically, the study aimed to find out what respondents think about the way Chinese mural painting is presently taught in selected schools in Shan Xi province of China and how it fits into the arts curriculum. It also aimed to find out how students feel about the inclusion of Chinese mural painting in their art classes. Using a descriptive quantitative research design, a total of 421 students currently enrolled in art education from five (5) Chinese colleges and universities served as respondents of the study. The study's self-made questionnaire, which was validated by professionals, showed that the institutions chosen for the investigation had successfully included Chinese mural painting into their arts curricula. The respondents demonstrated favorable views toward the inclusion of Chinese mural painting in the teaching of arts. When respondents are categorized according to their age and school, significant disparities in their perceptions of the state of teaching Chinese mural painting in arts education were found. Variations in these demographic traits may explain this outcome. Also, when respondents are categorized according to school, age, and grade level, significant differences in their opinions regarding the inclusion of Chinese mural painting in arts education were also found. The respondents' attitudes toward incorporating Chinese mural painting into arts education and their assessment of the current state of teaching were shown to have a high positive correlation, indicating that the values of these two variables move in the same direction. The researcher recommends incorporating the enrichment program into the way that teaching is delivered. It is also recommended that administrators and art professors collaborate to develop an instructional design that is both more effective and inclusive of a broader spectrum of students. Furthermore, schools should continue providing their students with a wider range of Chinese mural painting reference materials, web databases, and learning tools in addition to regular workshops, field visits to historical mural locations, and museums. Lastly, it is advised that future scholars carry out comparable research on more facets of their own cultural history. The enrichment plan can also be incorporated into the curricula to facilitate the teaching of mural painting.