Developing intercultural music literacy through world music aesthetics in higher education

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of a World Music Aesthetics course designed to develop intercultural music literacy through an aesthetic learning approach and a global–local dual-axis framework. Developed using the ADDIE model, the 16-week course comprised three modules: foundational conceptual learning, cross-cultural comparative analysis, and integrative critical reflection. Participants were 164 undergraduate students from an arts institution in Hebei Province, China, assigned to an experimental group (n = 86) and a control group (n = 78). Intercultural music literacy was assessed across knowledge and understanding, cross-cultural analytical skills, and cultural attitudes and reflective awareness, using a multidimensional instrument supported by analytical and reflective tasks. While pre-test results showed no significant group differences, post-test findings revealed that the experimental group achieved significantly greater gains across all dimensions, particularly in contextual cross-cultural analysis and critical awareness of Western-centrism. These results demonstrate that a systematically designed world music aesthetics curriculum can effectively support the integrated development of intercultural music literacy in higher education.