In response to the accelerating global crisis of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) extinction, this study examines the Xiping folk song a form of China’s national ICH through a qualitative methodological lens to construct an innovative, education-oriented transmission model. Drawing on extensive fieldwork documenting folk performance practices, in-depth interviews with 18 cultural bearers, educators, and policy practitioners, as well as critical analysis of cultural and educational policy texts (2010–2025) and dialogic engagement with local communities, the research develops a dual-dimensional framework integrating both formal and informal educational strategies. The model comprises five interrelated modules themes: cultural tourism project design, master-apprentice craft transmission, localized curriculum development, pedagogical innovation in higher education, and digital learning ecosystems. At its core, the study engages in a dialectical analysis of key implementation challenges such as the risk of cultural commodification in tourism, intergenerational communication gaps in apprenticeship-based learning, and digital accessibility divides and offers a systematic feasibility assessment. By reconciling stakeholder interests with policy constraints, the model proposes a pragmatic path for sustaining orally transmitted art forms in contemporary educational contexts without compromising cultural authenticity. This framework demonstrates the capacity of qualitative inquiry to support the construction of culturally responsive heritage transmission models and contributes a methodological paradigm to the emerging field of heritage education worldwide.
Chai et al. (Wed,) studied this question.