1. Introduction

With the progress of society and the development of sports in China, there is an increasing demand for comprehensive development of morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor among contemporary college students. The issuance of the “Opinions on Comprehensively Strengthening and Improving School Sports Work in the New Era” and the “Opinions on Comprehensively Strengthening and Improving School Aesthetic Education Work in the New Era” by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council has significant guiding significance for the arrangement of physical education teaching in major universities.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop and arrange street dance elective courses at Ningxia University. As a highly popular course in public physical education, street dance can enhance students’ cultural and artistic literacy and promote physical fitness. In this regard, it is urgent to build and develop street dance elective courses at Ningxia University. This paper investigates the current situation of street dance elective courses at Ningxia University, analyzes the factors affecting their development, and proposes suggestions to promote street dance teaching.

2. Research Object and Methods

2.1. Research Object

Street dance elective courses at Ningxia University, with 200 students and 2 teachers as survey subjects.

2.2. Research Methods

2.2.1. Questionnaire Survey

Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 200 students from six classes of street dance elective courses at Ningxia University. 200 questionnaires were distributed, and 200 were collected, with 196 valid responses, achieving a response rate of 100% and an effective rate of 98%.

2.2.2. Interview Method

This study conducted interviews with two street dance teachers from the School of Physical Education at Ningxia University and some students in the form of interviews to understand the current situation of street dance elective courses.

2.2.3. Logical Analysis Method

The content of the questionnaires, interview results, and relevant materials were classified and compared using the knowledge and methods of logic, and useful information for this study was organized and summarized.

3. Results and Analysis

3.1. Survey of Street Dance Elective Course Students at Ningxia University

3.1.1. Analysis of Student Participation

Table 1-1. Gender Distribution of Street Dance Elective Course Students (N=196)

Table 1-2. Grade Distribution of Street Dance Elective Course Students (N=196)

Table 1-3. Major Distribution of Street Dance Elective Course Students (N=196)

According to Table 1-1, we understand that in the street dance elective course, males account for 10.2% and females account for 89.8%. Through communication with students outside of class, it is understood that due to the unique nature of dance projects, there is a significant gender imbalance in the street dance elective course at Ningxia University.

From Figures 1-2 and 1-3, it can be seen that the proportions of freshmen and sophomores in the dance elective course are roughly equal. Most of the enrolled students are from science and engineering majors, followed by humanities and social sciences, with the fewest from arts and sports majors. Therefore, it is inferred that students’ demand for street dance elective courses varies across different majors, and street dance is attractive to students of all grades. Among them, students majoring in science and engineering have the highest demand for street dance.

Table 1-4. Street Dance Foundation of Street Dance Elective Course Students (N=196)

From Table 1-4, it can be observed that among the students choosing the street dance elective course, 67.3% have never been in contact with street dance, exceeding half of the total. 28.6% of students indicate preliminary exposure, while only 4.1% claim to have undergone systematic learning of street dance. Thus, it can be seen that students’ foundations in street dance vary. In the teaching process, it is inevitable that some students may learn slowly and struggle to grasp the movements, which may consequently affect the progress of teaching for instructors.

3.1.2. Analysis of Student Enrolment Situation

Table 2-1. Initial Enrollment Status of Street Dance Elective Course Students (N=196)

From Table 2-1, it can be observed that 90% of students are enrolling in a street dance elective course for the first time, indicating a high level of enthusiasm among students for the street dance elective course.

Table 2-2. Willingness of Street Dance Elective Course Students to Re-enroll (N=196)

Table 2-3. Reasons for Not Re-enrolling in Street Dance Elective Course (N=44)

From Tables 2-2 and 2-3, it can be seen that 77.6% of students express their willingness to re-enroll in the street dance elective course, while 22.4% indicate they will not. Among the reasons for not re-enrolling, 72.8% cite having sufficient credits, while 27.2% express a dislike for street dance. This indicates that the majority of students choose the street dance course to fulfill credit requirements.

Table 2-4. Objectives of Street Dance Elective Course Students (N=196)

From Table 2-4, it can be observed that students have various objectives for choosing the street dance elective course. Interest and hobby rank first at 42.3%, indicating a high level of enthusiasm among students for learning street dance. Following this are physical fitness and skill acquisition, at 19.3% and 18.9% respectively. Socializing, course credits, and novel experience account for 9.2%, 5.6%, and 4.7% respectively. Through communication with students during breaks, it was also understood that apart from the aforementioned objectives, students believe that street dance can help alleviate stress, enhance personal charm, and cultivate aesthetic taste. This indicates that the dissemination of street dance culture is becoming increasingly widespread, and students are increasingly recognizing the benefits of learning street dance.

3.2. Survey of Basic Situation of Teachers in Street Dance Elective Course at Ningxia University

Teachers are the first group of people students face in the classroom and are inheritors and disseminators of knowledge. The reserve of professional knowledge and the level of development of professional skills are essential requirements for teachers in the education industry. Academic qualifications are the basis for reflecting the level of professional knowledge and professional skill.

According to interviews, the two teachers responsible for street dance teaching are both females with master’s degrees and are certified as national level one judges in aerobics. During their time at the university, they have long been engaged in teaching aerobics, aerobic dance, street dance, and other courses. They actively participate in dance-related training and learning outside of class time and lead teams to participate in various levels and types of competitions in aerobics, street dance, etc., achieving certain results. They possess strong professional knowledge and skills as well as strong research and theoretical levels, enabling them to effectively undertake the street dance elective course at Ningxia University.

3.3. Current Situation of Teaching Street Dance Elective Course at Ningxia University

3.3.1. Course Schedule and Format

According to interviews, Ningxia University offered street dance elective courses for non-physical education majors in 2003. The course arrangement is as follows: 16 weeks of classes, 2 hours per week, with offline teaching. Teachers use a combination of online and offline methods in the teaching process. Online, they primarily use WeChat groups and the “Dui Fen Yi” WeChat mini-program to publish information, assign homework, collect student feedback, and facilitate communication. They also share street dance materials and videos with students via WeChat groups to encourage students to practice street dance in their spare time and improve the efficiency of offline classes.

3.3.2. Course Teaching Objectives

Street dance elective courses belong to public physical education courses, and the teaching objectives are divided into three specific points. Firstly, knowledge and skill objectives aim to enable students to understand and master the basic knowledge and skills of street dance, forming good exercise habits. Secondly, process and method objectives aim to cultivate students’ correct body posture, develop their coordination, flexibility, and adaptability, and cultivate their sensitivity to music. Thirdly, emotional and value objectives aim to cultivate students’ abilities in cooperative learning and self-directed learning, meet their learning needs, enhance their social adaptability, and encourage them to be enterprising. Through investigation, the teaching objectives of street dance elective courses at Ningxia University include cultivating correct posture and good temperament, improving students’ comprehensive quality, and enhancing collective consciousness. Inspiring students’ sentiments and promoting healthy physical and mental development.

3.3.3. Teaching Methods

Based on personal observation during classes, the most commonly used teaching methods by instructors include explanation, demonstration, and group practice. In the initial stage of teaching, instructors break down complete street dance sequences into multiple movements, personally demonstrate each movement, and students learn by imitation and repeated practice of each detail. Once students have mastered each detail, they integrate all movements into a complete sequence for practice until they master the entire street dance sequence. In the middle stage of teaching, instructors divide students into several learning groups, with each group selecting a student with better foundation as the leader. Under the leadership of the group leader, students engage in free practice for 5 to 10 minutes, during which the group leader is responsible for organizing and teaching within the group.

3.3.4. Course Textbooks

According to interviews, teachers select teaching materials based on students’ specific situations, mainly from the following sources: 1. Content related to the “Dynamic Zone” Chinese University Street Dance Challenge Coach Training (Trainers: Feng Zheng, Gao Bo, Yu Bin, Wang Han, etc.). 2. Street dance-related learning content from the National Fitness Dance Teacher Training Course organized by the State General Administration of Sports (Trainer: Li Zhiming). 3. Content released by well-known dance training institutions such as Beijing Popdance, Star Dance Training, and Guangzhou STO on social media. 4. Street dance teaching software apps. Currently, the teaching materials can basically meet the learning needs of students.

3.3.5. Course Teaching Content

According to interviews and personal attendance in classes, we understand that the teaching content of the course mainly consists of street dance choreography arranged by the teachers themselves. Classroom teaching is divided into three parts: First, the preparation part, where teachers lead students in some simple warm-up activities. Second, the basic part, where students focus on learning street dance choreography arranged by the teachers, sequentially learning four types of dance segments: cool Korean dance, hip-hop, locking, and K-pop. Third, the concluding part includes 8 minutes of physical fitness training and 5 minutes of relaxation and stretching exercises. According to Table 1-4, we understand that the majority of students who choose the street dance elective course have either never been in contact with street dance or have had preliminary exposure, accounting for 95.9%. Based on feedback obtained from students through communication outside of class, most students find the classroom teaching content too difficult and overwhelming. For students who have never been exposed to or have had only preliminary exposure to street dance, they are unable to keep up with the pace and feel exhausted during class, which affects their enthusiasm for class participation. The feedback from students indicates that teachers need to adjust teaching content and methods promptly according to the specific situations of students to improve students’ enthusiasm for classroom learning.

3.3.6. Course Assessment Methods

According to interviews, the assessment methods for the street dance elective course are based on the unified requirements of the final examination for university physical education courses: street dance routine display 60%, physical fitness 20%, regular performance 10%, and sun marathon 10%. Regular performance is composed of class attendance and group presentations for each class. In the latter part of each class, each group leader leads group members in 5 to 10 minutes of free practice, followed by group presentations conducted by each group, which are evaluated by the teacher. The regular performance score for each student is obtained by integrating the group presentation scores and class attendance. The street dance routine display includes the hip-hop finished dance taught in class and self-choreographed dances by students. Students practice hip-hop finished dances in groups during their free time after class and choreograph a dance segment of about 2 minutes. In the final assessment class, each group takes turns to perform the finished dance and self-choreographed dances on stage, and the teacher scores them as the street dance routine display score. Finally, the scores from various components are combined to obtain the final grade for the street dance elective course.

3.3.7. Facilities

According to interviews, the current location for the street dance elective course is the Dance Studio of the Ningxia University Student Activity Center. The basic facilities of the classroom include wooden floors, mirrored walls, sound systems, and yoga mats, which basically meet the hardware requirements of a street dance classroom. The teaching venues for sports performance courses at the school are relatively tight, but they can generally meet the requirements for class.

4. Conclusion and Recommendations

4.1. Conclusion

4.1.1. Street Dance Elective Course Highly Popular among Students

According to Tables 2-1 and 2-2, most students are taking the street dance elective course for the first time and express their intention to continue taking it. This indicates a high level of interest among students in the street dance elective course. The school can continue to take relevant measures to promote the spread of street dance culture among students, further fostering the development of campus street dance culture.

4.1.2. Shortage of Teaching Staff

Based on interviews, currently, Ningxia University has only one full-time teacher for the street dance elective course. With the high enthusiasm of students for the street dance elective course, the insufficient number of teachers cannot adequately meet the learning needs of students, indicating a shortage of teaching staff.

4.1.3. Difficulty in Learning Course Content for Some Students

Most students have weak foundations, and some students have poor physical fitness. The rich content of the street dance elective course poses difficulties for students, who express that they cannot keep up with the pace of the class or effectively digest the course content. If this situation persists, students’ enthusiasm for class participation may decrease, leading to a decline in their interest in street dance.

4.2. Recommendations

4.2.1. Further Strengthening the Promotion of Street Dance Culture on Campus

To promote the development of campus street dance culture, it is recommended to enhance the school leadership’s recognition and importance of street dance culture, increase investment in street dance venues and hardware facilities, and improve student satisfaction. Additionally, organizing street dance culture lectures on campus, intensifying street dance culture promotion efforts, and popularizing street dance theoretical knowledge among students can be beneficial. Furthermore, collaboration with relevant organizations to hold campus street dance competitions can provide students with a good platform to showcase the charm of street dance. Finally, introducing street dance culture courses, through activities such as appreciating street dance costumes and participating in street dance competitions, can increase student recognition of street dance culture and cultivate students’ aesthetic taste and cultural literacy, thereby promoting the campus promotion of street dance culture.

4.2.2. Enhancement of Teaching Staff

For the development of teaching staff for the street dance elective course, it is recommended to strengthen the recruitment of relevant street dance professional teachers or hire part-time street dance instructors to teach. This approach can alleviate the shortage of street dance teachers while further enhancing the professionalism of the street dance course and increasing student identification.

4.2.3. Adoption of Non-Traditional Street Dance Teaching Methods with Emphasis on Basic Skills Practice

The traditional method of teaching street dance can be changed. In the teaching process, the focus can be shifted to basic skills practice, with dance segment practice as supplementary teaching methods. Solid basic skills are the foundation of any street dance genre, especially for beginners, making basic skills practice a top priority. After students have acquired a certain level of basic skills, music listening exercises can be introduced during class, with teachers selecting street dance music of different styles. This allows students to feel the rhythm of different street dance music, find their own body sensations in different music, and unleash their creativity by selecting music they like for choreography. However, learning basic skills can be tedious and monotonous, potentially reducing students’ motivation to learn. Therefore, in the teaching process, it is important not to teach overly difficult movements. Instead, start with simple movements and gradually progress to more difficult ones. Additionally, a variety of teaching methods should be used in combination, making effective use of multimedia devices such as projectors and slides to stimulate students’ senses, liven up the classroom atmosphere, and enhance student interest in learning. This approach aims to achieve effective teaching of the street dance course and promote the healthy development of the street dance course.

5. Conclusion

Street dance, as a product of the combination of popular music and human kinetics, is an expression of emotions, aesthetics, and artistry, and is an important part of sports. With the further development of sports in our country, there is a consensus on comprehensive cultivation and improvement of students’ ideological and moral qualities, and the enhancement of students’ scientific, cultural, and artistic literacy among “family-school-community” circles. The purpose of offering street dance elective courses at our university is to improve students’ basic physical fitness, master basic street dance cultural theoretical knowledge, and basic street dance skills, thereby enhancing students’ artistic and cultural literacy. However, through the investigation and research conducted by the author, some difficulties were found in the implementation of the street dance elective course at our university, including a severe shortage of teaching staff, learning difficulties for students in class, and limitations in the spread of street dance culture on campus and among student groups.

In conclusion, to better promote the implementation of street dance elective courses at Ningxia University, it is necessary to vigorously strengthen the teaching staff, and deeply analyze the problems existing in the traditional street dance classroom teaching. Measures such as improving traditional street dance classroom teaching, focusing on basic skills practice, and promoting street dance culture on campus through measures such as organizing street dance culture lectures and competitions by the school can be taken to further enhance students’ cultural literacy and shape their good aesthetic taste.