Arş. Gör. Dr. GÖZDE ÖZENÇ İRA

Dr. Gözde Özenç İra has been a research assistant in the Department of Primary Education at Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye, since 2018. She earned her PhD in Primary School Teaching from Anadolu University in 2024, focusing on integrating music into the Life Science course through a 10-session program. Her research explored the impact of music on children's attitudes toward learning and emotional development.

With an interdisciplinary background in music education, pedagogy, and cultural studies, she has been engaged in music education since 2001, specializing in instrument performance (classical/acoustic guitar, bağlama/saz), music theory, and culturally responsive pedagogy. She has also studied specialized music teaching methodologies, including the Orff Schulwerk approach, and body percussion. In 2021, she completed a Design-Based Research course at Middle East Technical University.

Between 2014 and 2016, she worked as a primary school teacher in public schools, gaining hands-on classroom experience. Her research interests lie at the intersection of interdisciplinary education, inclusive pedagogy, and social justice in education. She has examined the intercultural educational needs of displaced populations, particularly Syrian refugees, and explored teachers' perspectives on inclusive teaching approaches. She contributed to the "Strengthening Higher Education Institutions for Inclusive Education" project (2020–2021) in collaboration with Hacettepe University and SPARK, a Dutch NGO.

In 2023, she participated in the Erasmus+ Mobility program at the University of Cologne for the summer semester. She is currently conducting postdoctoral research at the University of Cologne, Department of Music and Arts, with the support of the TÜBİTAK 2219 grant, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Christian Rolle.

Postdoctoral Research Projects

TÜBİTAK 2219 Postdoctoral Project

Developing Culturally Responsive Music Teaching Practices and the Professional Qualification Framework for Teachers of Children with Immigrant Backgrounds

Innovative Tandem Collaborations Project

Inclusive Pedagogy in Music Education: A Comparison of Teachers’ Perspectives in Primary and Special Education Schools in Germany and Türkiye

She is also leading a collaborative research project at the University of Cologne’s Center for International Forum (CIF) under the "Innovative Tandem Collaborations" program. The project, running from February 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026, is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Theresa Stommel (Department of Special Education & Rehabilitation) and Dr. Lukas Bugiel (Department of Music & Arts).

For more details: (ProjectWebsite Link)

Her some works has been published in high-ranking international journals across educational psychology, sociology, psychology, and education research. Through her work, she aims to bridge theoretical and practice-oriented knowledge in inclusive music education, particularly within culturally diverse societies.

She is an active member of the Institut für Europäische Musikethnologie at Cologne University, where she continues to explore topics related to inclusive music education, teacher training, and the relations of music, migration and social cohesion in Germany.