Analysis of Gayageum Byeongchang Research Trends －Focusing on Master’s thesis－
Authors:   The Korean Society of Human and Nature, kim hyun jung 
Published: June 2024

The purpose of this study is to examine the trends and future directions of esearch on gayageum byeongchang, focusing on master’s theses published from 1982 to February2024, and to derive socio-educational implications, explore under-researched areas, and propose future research directions. A total of 148 master’s theses on gayageum byeongchang were selected and examined by period, school, and topic. Looking at the trends in gayageum byeongchang master’s theses and graduate school research by period, it was found that research on gayageum byeongchang became more active over time, with a total of 7 theses in the 1980s, 49 theses in the 2000s, 66 theses in the 2010s, and 24 theses from the 2020s to February 2024. In terms of schools, Central University had the most master’s theses on gayageum byeongchang with 32, followed by the Korea National University of Arts with 21. When classified into major categories such as musical research, educational research, and other research, it was found that musical research accounted for 75% of the total, with most studies focusing on person-centered musical analysis or comparisons between gayageum byeongchang and other genres. Educational research accounted for 33% of the total, mainly focusing on teaching methods and instructional plans by target audience, while other topics accounted for 3% of the total. Based on the results of this study, I would like to suggest the following directions for future research on Gayageum Byeongchang: First, research topics should be expanded from various angles to develop new research topics that align with the current educational environment or trends in society, integrating with other subjects or disciplines to actively respond to societal changes. Second, to enhance the quality of theses and improve musical research, it is necessary to establish systematic classification criteria for accurate writing systems or notation formats based on the creativity and diversity of research topics. Third, research should be expanded to include various target audiences. While studies targeting teachers, the general public, high school students, middle school students, and elementary school students are visible, there is a lack of studies targeting the elderly, infants, or students with disabilities. Systematic teaching methods and textbooks tailored to the developmental stages and characteristics of the target audience should be actively developed and researched to ensure a balanced representation of research subjects without bias.
Fourth, educational materials development and programs should be developed and studied so that systematic education suitable for each age-specific development stage can be achieved. Fifth, research and development of Gayageum musical instruments should be carried out for public distribution. If reasonably priced Gayageum musical instruments are distributed, Gayageum Byeongchang education will be more active. These results are expected to help understand the current status of master’s theses on gayageum byeongchang, suggest future research directions, and contribute to the qualitative improvement of master’s theses.