Reconstructing Curriculum Coherence in Performance-Based Traditions: A Framework Integrating Experiential Learning and Relational Constructive Alignment

Abstract Book of the 3rd World Conference on Teaching, Learning, and Education

Year: 2026

[PDF]

Reconstructing Curriculum Coherence in Performance-Based Traditions: A Framework Integrating Experiential Learning and Relational Constructive Alignment

Shen Xu, Mohd Hassan bin Abdullah

ABSTRACT:

Constructive alignment (CA) is widely used to organise curriculum coherence in higher education; however, its operationalisation within outcome-based quality assurance systems creates structural difficulties when applied to ensemble-based oral music traditions, where knowledge is embodied, relationally transmitted, and acquired through somatic imitation and co-performance. This study pursued three objectives: (1) to diagnose curriculum gaps in Chaozhou music higher education through systematic needs analysis; (2) to construct a theoretically grounded framework, the Chaozhou Music Curriculum Framework (CMCF), operationalising Relational Constructive Alignment (RCA); and (3) to evaluate the CMCF for content validity and stakeholder feasibility. A mixed-methods sequential exploratory design embedded within a design-based research orientation was adopted across three phases. Phase 1 comprised needs analysis through document analysis of twelve syllabi, six semi-structured expert interviews, five teacher focus group discussions, and a student survey (n = 300). Phase 2 involved framework construction through conceptual synthesis and iterative expert consultation. Phase 3 combined expert Content Validity Index (CVI) validation (n = 5 panel; S-CVI/Ave = 0.94) with stakeholder feasibility assessment (n = 100 students; Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89). The CMCF operationalises RCA, extending the conventional ILO-TLA-AT triangle by incorporating ensemble relationality as a fourth structural axis within a tetrahedral model. Student feasibility means ranged from 3.38 to 3.71 on a five-point scale, indicating moderate rather than strong endorsement, with notable heterogeneity across student subgroups. The study indicates that CA may function more coherently in ensemble-based oral traditions when its structural architecture is adapted to incorporate relational epistemology, offering a potentially adaptable framework for disciplines in which tacit, embodied, or relational knowledge is constitutive of learning.

Keywords: Chaozhou Music; Chinese Music Education; Constructive Alignment; Curriculum Architecture; Oral Tradition