Building Digital Pedagogical Capacity for Music Teachers In VET: Challenges, Competencies, And Professional Learning in Chinese VET Colleges

Abstract

Globally, music graduates face increasing challenges in employability due to market saturation and persistent misalignment between academic training and the demands of the job market. Although many aspire to traditional roles such as teaching or performing in state-supported ensembles, these positions are limited and highly competitive. At the same time, the rapid rise of digital technologies and the use of artificial intelligence is reshaping the professional landscape, introducing new opportunities while also threatening certain conventional roles within the music sector. These technological shifts have had a particularly strong impact on the delivery of music education in Vocational Education and Training (VET) colleges in China, where the industry’s growing reliance on digital production tools and AI-assisted composition requires educators to acquire new technological competencies. Yet, many VET music teachers continue to struggle with limited digital literacy, inadequate pedagogical strategies, and insufficient institutional support, which collectively hinder effective integration of technology into teaching. Despite national reforms aimed at strengthening digital capacity in education, challenges such as constrained professional development, outdated curricula, and inadequate infrastructure remain prevalent. This concept paper adopts a conceptual research design based on an integrative and thematic analysis of relevant literature to explore the competencies required for technology-based teaching among music teachers in VET colleges in China, examine barriers to professional learning, and propose a Competencies and Professional Learning Framework to support educators. Findings highlight competency gaps, the absence of structured training pathways, and institutional barriers. The proposed framework provides core digital competencies, professional learning strategies, institutional support mechanisms, and curriculum integration models, offering practical recommendations for enhancing technology-based music education in China’s VET sector.