Preparation for Aesthetic Education in Preservice-Teacher Calligraphy Courses: A Content Analysis of Objectives, Content, Tasks, and Assessment in Ten Publicly Available Syllabi

Zhao Sihan

doi:10.55927/eajmr.v5i9.316

Authors

Zhao Sihan Quanzhou Normal University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i9.316

Keywords:

Preservice Teachers, Calligraphy Course, Aesthetic Education Literacy, Course Documents, Curricular Alignment

Abstract

This study examined ten syllabi published on official university websites. Directed content analysis was used to code four dimensions—handwriting skills, aesthetic interpretation, cultural understanding, and instructional application—across objectives, content, tasks, and assessment, producing 160 coding decisions. Handwriting skills were explicit in the objectives, content, and tasks of all ten courses and in the assessment of nine. Only one syllabus stated an explicit objective for aesthetic interpretation, and none specified an explicit task or assessment for it. Three syllabi stated explicit objectives for cultural understanding, but none specified an explicit task or assessment. Eight syllabi mentioned instructional use in their objectives, whereas only one specified an explicit instructional-application task. None included a complete lesson-planning or microteaching task; among the seven syllabi with detailed assessment criteria, none provided a complete rubric for instructional application.

References

Ministry of Education. (2013, January 25). Notice of the Ministry of Education on issuing the Guidelines for Calligraphy Education in Primary and Secondary Schools. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A26/s8001/201301/t20130125_147389.html.

Ministry of Education. (2024, January 2). Notice of the Ministry of Education on the comprehensive implementation of the School Aesthetic Education Immersion Action Plan. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://hudong.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A17/moe_794

He, X., Liu, Y. Z., & Bian, H. Y. (2025). Teaching toward beauty: The structural framework and enhancement pathways of aesthetic education literacy for primary and secondary school teachers. Journal of Teacher Education, 12(3), 10-18. DOI:10.13718/j.cnki.jsjy.2025.03.002.

Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4-14. DOI:10.3102/0013189X015002004.

Deehan, J., Hutchesson, R. C., & Parker, P. (2022). Learning to teach without teaching: A mixed methods case study of preservice teachers' efficacy beliefs and perceptions of an evidence-based creative arts subject. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 47(7), 90-115. DOI:10.14221/ajte.2022v47n7.6.

Biggs, J. (1996). Enhancing teaching through constructive alignment. Higher Education, 32(3), 347-364. DOI:10.1007/BF00138871.

Pan, S. Z. (1995). An investigation and analysis of the current status of public calligraphy education in Chinese normal universities. Research on Higher Normal Education, (5), 32-35.

Wang, L. (2022). Reform and exploration of practical teaching in the "Three Types of Writing and Mandarin" course under the background of teacher education program accreditation. Journal of Qilu Normal University, 37(3), 33-38.

Fu, C. M. (2017). Reform and practice of assessment methods for "Teacher Calligraphy Skills" in primary education majors: A case study of Suqian University. Heilongjiang Education (Higher Education Research and Evaluation), (4), 58-59.

College of Teacher Education, Southwest University. (2023, June 15). Writing Ability Training: Undergraduate experimental course syllabus. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://cte.swu.edu.cn/info/1200/3265.htm.

College of Liberal Arts, Shihezi University. (2022, August). Writing Skills Training: Course syllabus. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://art.shzu.edu.cn/_upload/article/files/32/

College of Literature and Media, Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University. (2023, November). Three Types of Writing Training: Course syllabus. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://wxycb.gpnu.edu.cn/__local/C/21/

College of Mathematics and Statistics, Hubei Normal University. (n.d.). Writing Ability Training: Course syllabus. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://math.hbnu.edu

Department of Chinese, Changzhi University. (2024, December 30). Teacher Writing Skills Training: Course syllabus. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://zwx.czc.edu.cn/info/2611/17721.htm.

Academic Affairs Office, Suzhou University of Science and Technology. (2017). Calligraphy Foundations B: Course syllabus. In College of Humanities course syllabus compilation (pp. 74-75). Retrieved August 9, 2026, https://jwch.usts.edu.cn/__local/7/98/79/

College of Teacher Education, Taizhou University. (2023). Writing 1: Course syllabus. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://jyxy.tzc.edu.cn/__local/0/74/A4

College of Education, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences. (2020, June 24). Calligraphy Art B: Course syllabus. In 2020 undergraduate program plan: Primary Education (general-subject teachers) major course syllabi (pp. 153-156). Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://sf.cqwu.edu.cn/SITE_ATTACHE/sf_cqwu_edu_cn

College of Water Resources and Environment, University of Jinan. (2016, May 19). Writing Skills: Course syllabus. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://zh.ujn.edu.cn/info/1077/4572.htm.

College of Education (Normal College), Dongguan University of Technology. (2018, September 1). Three Types of Writing 1: Course syllabus. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://sf.dgut.edu.cn/info/1112/3271.htm.

Hsieh, H. F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277-1288. DOI:10.1177/1049732305276687.

Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27-40. DOI:10.3316/QRJ0902027.