Tyler-Based Curriculum Design and Undergraduate Students' Piano Performance in Hebei Province, China: A Descriptive-Correlational Study

Abstract

This descriptive-correlational study examined whether four Tyler-based curriculum-design components - Curriculum Objectives, Selection of Learning Experiences, Organization of Learning Experiences, and Evaluation System - were differentially associated with piano performance among 303 undergraduate piano students from three selected universities in Hebei Province, China. The analysis used the retained case-level doctoral-study dataset, including 40 item-level questionnaire responses, four 10-item composite scores, and a 100-point institutional piano-performance score. Descriptive statistics, group-difference procedures, direct Cronbach's alpha estimation, Pearson correlations, and case-level assumption and robustness checks were conducted. Students rated all four curriculum dimensions positively (M = 4.23-4.28), and mean piano performance was 94.2. Internal consistency across the four curriculum dimensions ranged from alpha = .647 to .713. Evaluation System showed the strongest positive association with piano performance (r = .609, p < .001), whereas Organization of Learning Experiences showed a weak but significant association (r = .145, p = .012). Curriculum Objectives (r = .088, p = .128) and Selection of Learning Experiences (r = .028, p = .629) were not significantly associated with performance. Rank-based sensitivity analyses reproduced the same substantive pattern. The findings support a contextual refinement of Tyler's model: the four components remain analytically useful but need not be equally proximal to performance outcomes in performance-based arts education. Interpret the findings within the three-university regional sample, the narrow performance-score range, the modest internal consistency of several subscales, and the non-causal design. The study recommends prioritizing transparent assessment criteria, timely actionable feedback, process-oriented evaluation, and guided self-assessment while maintaining alignment among objectives, learning experiences, organization, and evaluation.