Inclusive pedagogy in music education: A comparison of the perspectives of teachers across primary and special education schools in Germany and Türkiye


Özenç Ira G. (Yürütücü), Stommel T., Bugiel L.

Diğer Ülkelerden Üniversiteler Tarafından Desteklenmiş Proje, 2025 - 2026

  • Proje Türü: Diğer Ülkelerden Üniversiteler Tarafından Desteklenmiş Proje
  • Başlama Tarihi: Şubat 2025
  • Bitiş Tarihi: Şubat 2026

Proje Özeti

Our initiative, hosted by Dr. Theresa Stommel and Dr. Lukas Bugiel in collaboration with Dr.
Gözde Özenç İra, aims to explore the perspectives of primary and special education teachers
in Germany and Türkiye on inclusive music pedagogy and curricular decisions. Demographic
changes, the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and
the global push for the UN Sustainable Development Goals have led educational systems to
increasingly focus on promoting social cohesion and inclusion. Although music education
plays a crucial role in fostering the inclusion of disadvantaged children, there remains a lack
of understanding regarding the perspectives of music educators on inclusive teaching
practices.

Our project directly addresses the challenges and opportunities of inclusive music education.
We will explore how teachers in both countries understand social cohesion and inclusion in
music teaching, how their curricular decisions impact educational justice, and how these
insights can guide future teaching practices. To do this, we will analyze documents, conduct
online surveys, and hold face-to-face interviews with primary and special education teachers
to better understand their approaches to social cohesion and inclusion in music education.
Additionally, we will compare the music curricula in Germany and Türkiye to understand
how they address the educational needs of disadvantaged children, especially those with
learning disabilities and immigrant backgrounds. Our findings will help improve teacher
training programs in both countries, drawing on the knowledge of music and special
education. Based on these insights, we will develop teaching modules that can support
teachers in primary, music, and special education. By using a mix of different research
methods, we aim to provide a thorough understanding of inclusive music pedagogy and offer
useful recommendations for teacher development.

We will disseminate our findings through publications in international peer-reviewed journals,
presentations at educational conferences, an interdisciplinary online course for students in
primary, music, and special education, and workshops in Ankara and Cologne. These
workshops will involve teachers and students, allowing them to discuss the research results
and how to apply them in their own teaching practices. The project will conclude with the
SALON event in Cologne.