A Hierarchical Exploration of the Infiltration of Aesthetic Music Education in Secondary Schools Based on the Three-Dimensional ABC Structure Theory-Taking School B in Quzhou City as an Example

Recent surveys have indicated a declining identification with music learning among middle school students, resulting in reduced effectiveness in the infiltration of aesthetic education. In the context of strengthening aesthetic education integration in Chinese schools and addressing practical challenges in secondary music education, this study adopts Hovland's three-dimensional attitude structure theory-comprising affective experience, behavioral tendency, and cognitive level-and incorporates the attitude hierarchy effects of the standard learning hierarchy, low-involvement hierarchy, and experiential hierarchy as its theoretical framework. The objective is to explore the current hierarchical state of middle school students within the process of music aesthetic education infiltration and, based on the findings, to provide recommendations for enhancing its effectiveness. Drawing upon the three predefined attitude hierarchies, the study designed three mediating models to compare their mediating effects and analyze the interrelationships among factors within each model. A total of 149 middle school students from School B in Quzhou City were surveyed using questionnaires. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Bootstrap methods were applied to examine the direct, indirect, and total effects across models and pathways. The results reveal that, within the standard learning hierarchy model (cognitive level → affective experience → behavioral tendency), affective experience fully mediates the relationship between cognitive level and behavioral tendency, showing the highest mediation effect among the three hierarchies. In the low-involvement hierarchy model (cognitive level → behavioral tendency → affective experience), behavioral tendency partially mediates the relationship between cognitive level and affective experience. However, the mediation effect in the experiential hierarchy model (affective experience → behavioral tendency → cognitive level) was not statistically significant. Based on these findings, it is recommended that middle school music aesthetic education focus on the scientific design of cognitive teaching content, the active cultivation of affective experiences, and the expansion of participatory practical activities. This comprehensive approach can better meet the needs of students situated within both the standard learning and low-involvement hierarchies, thereby improving the overall efficacy of aesthetic education infiltration in music learning.