The path of Chinese-Russian cooperation in piano education: rethinking teaching methods from “exam-oriented” to “interest-oriented”

Abstract

The article is devoted to rethinking the trajectory of Chinese-Russian cooperation in piano education against the backdrop of the dominance in the mass segment of the PRC of a model oriented toward qualification exams and the actualization of the humanistic principles of the Russian pianistic school, based on intonation, ear development, and artistic image formation. Drawing on a comparative analysis of pedagogical practices and a five-year longitudinal observation (2018-2023) in major educational centers in China and Russia involving 1250 pupils, students, teachers, and parents, two teaching strategies are juxtaposed: the exam-oriented and the interest-oriented. Quantitative motivation indicators demonstrate a fundamental divergence: under the exam approach, external stimuli dominate (8.74 out of 10) along with motivation to avoid failure (7.92) amid low internal engagement (3.15), whereas the interest-oriented model features high internal motivation (7.89), more pronounced cognitive interest (6.72), and a drive for performances (7.12). Expert «blind» evaluation of performances reveals that the exam group’s superiority in technical stability (89.4 versus 82.1) and rhythmic discipline (91.2 versus 85.6) is accompanied by a systemic deficit in expressiveness (54.3 versus 81.9), sound extraction quality (68.7 versus 84.3), and stylistic understanding (61.5 versus 77.4). Retention dynamics confirm differences in educational effect sustainability: after five years, 28,93% of learners remain in the exam model and 71,05% in the interest-oriented one. Parental surveys highlight a conflict between satisfaction with formal results (0.89) and low rating of the child’s psychological state (0.41) amid high anxiety (0.82) in the exam group, whereas the humanistic strategy correlates with psychological comfort (0.93), greater independence in home practice (0.81), and high willingness to recommend the school (0.91). The viability of a hybrid model is substantiated, integrating the disciplinary resources of the Chinese tradition with the value-artistic mechanisms of the Russian school, thereby enhancing long-term motivational sustainability and interpretive quality without forgoing professional standards.