A study of the impact mechanism of Chinese higher folk dance education on the traditional national cultural inheritance and innovation among young universities students: a deep exploration

This paper investigated the mechanism of the influence of Chinese higher folk dance education on the traditional national cultural inheritance and innovation of universities students. An empirical analysis was conducted using 493 valid research samples of folk dance major students from universities directly under the National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China. The structural equation model verified that higher folk dance education can promote universities students’ traditional national cultural inheritance, cultural innovation, and creative innovation. Additionally, traditional national cultural inheritance can enhance universities students’ cultural innovation and creative innovation. Furthermore, the research also revealed the positive promotion of folk dance education on universities students’ national pride and cultural confidence, as well as their role in promoting cultural inheritance and innovation. The examination analysis using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method showed that there are three configurations that lead to universities students achieving a high level of traditional national cultural inheritance, cultural innovation, and creative innovation. These findings provide in-depth theoretical guidance for the practice of higher folk dance education and the practice of traditional national cultural inheritance and innovation, and offer effective decision-making basis for educational managers.