Factors Influencing Group Piano Teachers to Incorporate Comprehensive Musicianship for Young Beginners in Northern China

Comprehensive musicianship, which emphasises the balanced development of technical, aural, creative, and theoretical skills, has become increasingly recognised as essential for fostering well-rounded young musicians. Group piano teaching provides a collaborative environment that supports varied and interconnected musical learning experiences. This study investigates the factors that influence piano teachers to integrate comprehensive musicianship into group lessons for young beginners in China. A qualitative case study design was employed, involving four piano teachers selected through purposeful sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. Two major themes emerged from the analysis: perception change and group-settings strategies. On one hand, teachers’ willingness to move beyond their conservative learning backgrounds, along with a growing recognition of group instruction as a valid teaching format, as well as parental expectations, contributed to their openness to adopting comprehensive approaches. On the other hand, the group structure itself enabled the use of eclectic teaching methods such as Kodály, Orff, and Dalcroze, which supported the integration of multiple musical skills. At the same time, the structural demands of group teaching, particularly the need for clear, multi-layered lesson planning, further encouraged the inclusion of comprehensive musicianship elements. This study highlights how both perceptual and practical factors interact in shaping teachers’ curriculum choices. By examining these themes, this study seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of contemporary piano pedagogy and provide practical insights for curriculum development and teacher training in the Chinese context.