Cultural Integration and Dramatic Innovation in Malaysian Chinese Drama Education: A Twenty-Year Study of Performance Pedagogy (2000–2020)

Abstract

This study traces the developmental trajectory of Chinese drama education in Malaysia between 2000 and 2020, with particular attention to how cultural integration and dramatic innovation have shaped performance pedagogy. Drawing on a longitudinal survey of five representative schools, four community theatre troupes, and three institutions of higher education, the study employs a mixed-methods design to gather and analyse a substantial body of quantitative and qualitative evidence. Findings indicate that Malaysian Chinese drama education has moved from a posture of traditional conservatism toward cross-cultural integration, and that performance pedagogy has correspondingly evolved from a singular model into a diversified system. Teaching methods grounded in multicultural integration are shown to strengthen students' cultural identity and capacity for innovation while advancing the modernisation of Chinese drama in Malaysia. The study offers a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for drama education in multicultural settings and carries broader reference value for the study of minority arts education across Asia.