U.s. Primary And Secondary Music Education Reform Since The 1990s Study

With the coming of the 21st century,people see rapid development of science and enjoy a high quality of material life.However,it seems that the humanistic spirit is absent to some extent. In China,teachers attach great importance to cultivate students' intelligence factors such as memory,understanding and generalization in basic education,but that of the non-intelligence factors which consist of emotion,attitude,and interest etc.are being ignored.Therefore,to strengthen humanistic education,enhance students' humanity cultivation is definitely meaningful. Arts education is an important part of humanistic education,students will be nurtured in the aesthetic perception and have the ability of appreciating,reflecting and creating beauty gradually.The United States,a leading role in educational reform,has accumulated a great deal of experiences.This paper aims at the research on American music education in elementary and secondary education since 1990s,and explores its experience.The paper falls into four parts:The first part introduces the background of this study,and points out the significance of this research.The second part tells the history of American music education,so as to have knowledge of its development as a whole.The third part focuses on American music education in elementary and secondary education since 1990s,in which it is divided into three stages,and the main achievement in each stage is summarized.Furthermore,the implementation of reform as well as the problems emerged during this period is explored in depth.The last part presents the characteristics of American music education in elementary and secondary education since 1990s,and studies its educational rationale,in order to understand American music education reform further.