Dilemmas and Improvement Strategies of Rural Preschool Teachers in Creative Dance Teaching: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

Creative dance, as a form of early childhood education integrating artistic expression with physical and mental development, has gradually expanded into rural preschool settings in recent years alongside the revitalization of rural education. However, teaching quality in these areas lags significantly behind urban counterparts, reflecting structural deficiencies in resources, training, and support systems within rural regions. This study, grounded in Self-Determination Theory, explores the dilemmas and improvement strategies faced by rural preschool teachers in creative dance teaching. Employing qualitative research, the study selected 20 rural preschool teachers from kindergartens across six counties in three Chinese provinces. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis for coding and refinement. The findings revealed three major themes: limited autonomy, low confidence, and lack of support. Based on these themes, the study proposes three improvement strategies: curriculum empowerment, professional training, and resource linkage. This study complements the understanding of rural preschool teachers' motivation for creative dance teaching based on Self-Determination Theory and provides insights for enhancing creative dance teaching practices in early childhood education.