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Education Sciences
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Contemporary Issues in Music Education: International Perspectives
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Contemporary Issues in Music Education: International Perspectives

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 2737

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alberto Cabedo-Mas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Education and Specific Didactics, University Jaume I of Castellón, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Spain
Interests: music education; community music; interculturality and the impact of music making on personal and social development
Dr. Siu Hang Eric Kong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong
Interests: music in early childhood education; sociology and psychology of music education; AI in Music education;teacher education;comparative education
Prof. Dr. Susan A. O’Neill

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Learning and Leadership, Institute of Education, University College London, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL, UK
Interests: intergenerational learning; youth music and arts engagement; multimodal literacies and digital technologies; music psychology (life course learning, development, and wellbeing); intercultural learning and creative collaborations; social justice education; educational leadership in international contexts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

This timely compilation of articles aims to explore and shed light on the challenges, innovations, and diverse approaches in music education across different countries and cultural contexts. By bringing together a collection of research papers, case studies, and theoretical discussions, this Special Issue aims to foster a deeper understanding of the current issues and future directions in music education on a global scale.

This Special Issue aims to address a broad spectrum of contemporary issues in music education, covering key areas such as curriculum development, pedagogical approaches, assessment methods, technology integration, cultural diversity, social justice, and teacher training.

Drawing from the insights of Gay (2010), music educators are guided to actively engage with the cultural knowledge and experiences of their students, making the learning experience more relevant and meaningful for them. This Special Issue’s overarching objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of music education practices and policies in different localities worldwide. The articles included are analyzed in relation to their immediate contexts, offering insights into broader national or global music-educational issues. This compilation of articles reveals both differences and commonalities in music teaching, learning, and practices across various contexts, presenting numerous implications for music educators and others involved in the field. This compilation of articles not only presents a comprehensive overview of music education practices and policies in various localities worldwide, but also highlights the importance of culturally responsive teaching.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are both welcome. It is also open to articles addressing comprehensive writings that focus on philosophical or theoretical aspects pertinent to education. These may include reflections on contemporary practices, inquiries into research issues, discussions on reform initiatives, philosophical compositions, theories, examinations of the essence and extent of music education, or its objectives and purposes, or cross-disciplinary dialogues aligned with the concerns of music educators. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Music education policies and practices; 
  • Innovative approaches and pedagogies; 
  • Cultural diversity and inclusive practices; 
  • Assessment and evaluation; 
  • Professional development and teacher training.   

Reference: 

Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). Teachers College Press.

Prof. Dr. Alberto Cabedo-Mas
Dr. Siu Hang Eric Kong
Prof. Dr. Susan A. O’Neill
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • music education policies and practices
  • innovative approaches and pedagogies
  • cultural diversity and inclusive practices
  • assessment and evaluation
  • professional development and teacher training

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 254 KiB  
Article
“Musical Instruments for Girls, Musical Instruments for Boys”: Italian Primary and Middle School Students’ Beliefs About Gender Appropriateness of Musical Instruments
by Eleonora Concina and Rossana Gesuato
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15040474 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 469
Abstract
Background: For children, the decision to play a specific musical instrument may be influenced by several factors. Among them, a relevant role is played by beliefs about gender appropriateness of musical instruments, which may guide the choice toward instruments “for boys” or “for [...] Read more.
Background: For children, the decision to play a specific musical instrument may be influenced by several factors. Among them, a relevant role is played by beliefs about gender appropriateness of musical instruments, which may guide the choice toward instruments “for boys” or “for girls”. This would limit the range of choices available, overshadowing preferences based on aesthetic and personal tastes. Methods: the current study aims to investigate stereotypical beliefs about gender appropriateness of musical instruments among Italian primary and middle school students. An online questionnaire with close-end and open-end questions has been proposed to 370 students. Qualitative and quantitative analyses have been performed. Results: indications emerged about the presence of specific beliefs about gender appropriateness for some musical instruments. There is a tendency for both girls and boys to express a major preference for those instruments which are considered “feminine” (for girls) and “masculine” (for boys). Conclusions: Among children, there still persist some gender stereotypes about specific instruments, although these are not so strong. The gender of the participants, and not their level of education and musical experience, seems to be a discriminating factor in the appearance of such beliefs. Educators should encourage students to experiment with different musical instruments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Issues in Music Education: International Perspectives)
24 pages, 403 KiB  
Article
Harmonizing Love Virtues in Music Education in Mainland China
by Wai-Chung Ho
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15040471 - 9 Apr 2025
Viewed by 229
Abstract
This paper explores the harmonious integration of Confucian moral values and officially sanctioned love-themed lyrics in music education across Mainland China. It addresses the main research question: What role do officially approved school songs, which embody themes of love related to three key [...] Read more.
This paper explores the harmonious integration of Confucian moral values and officially sanctioned love-themed lyrics in music education across Mainland China. It addresses the main research question: What role do officially approved school songs, which embody themes of love related to three key relationships—(1) family and home, (2) teachers and friends, and (3) the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) and the Chinese nation—play in promoting the virtue of love through singing within Mainland China’s music education? By analyzing two sets of officially approved music textbooks for primary school students, consisting of a total of 24 volumes, this study reveals how love-themed lyrics serve as a medium for propagating political ideology while reinforcing traditional Confucian values among the younger generation. The research illustrates how love, as a fundamental virtue, is expressed and reinforced through these songs, highlighting their significance in fostering emotional and ethical development. The findings underscore the role of music education in cultivating a sense of community and national identity, as well as the interconnectedness of personal and collective values in shaping students’ moral frameworks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Issues in Music Education: International Perspectives)
16 pages, 264 KiB  
Article
Importance Attributed to Music Education by Hong Kong Parents and Prediction of Children’s Music Participation
by Yingying Pan, Alfredo Bautista and Siu-hang Kong
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(2), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15020250 - 17 Feb 2025
Viewed by 608
Abstract
Parents play a crucial role in facilitating their children’s participation in extracurricular music activities. Guided by the framework of concerted cultivation, this survey study conducted with Hong Kong parents investigates (1) the types of extracurricular music activities in which their three- to eight-year-old [...] Read more.
Parents play a crucial role in facilitating their children’s participation in extracurricular music activities. Guided by the framework of concerted cultivation, this survey study conducted with Hong Kong parents investigates (1) the types of extracurricular music activities in which their three- to eight-year-old children participate, (2) the importance parents attribute to music education and its correlation with key demographic factors, and (3) the predictive relationship between the importance parents attribute to music education and their children’s music participation. A self-designed survey was completed by 430 parents. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and binary logistic regression were conducted. Children’s participation rate in extracurricular music activities was found to be low. While younger children tended to engage in collaborative and unstructured activities, older children participated more in individual and guided activities. The importance attributed by parents to music education was relatively high and correlated with their background and family demographics. The higher the parents rated the importance of music education, the more likely they were to have signed up or intended to sign up their children for music activities. This study offers insights into children’s extracurricular music participation, highlights parental roles in children’s music education, and underscores the necessity of educating parents about the importance of music education. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Issues in Music Education: International Perspectives)
21 pages, 1185 KiB  
Article
Mastery Motivation, Mastery Pleasure, and Self-Concept in Singing of Students in Specialized and Non-Specialized Music Classes
by Katalin Kovács, Márta Janurik, Tun Zaw Oo, Norbert Szabó and Krisztián Józsa
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(2), 235; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15020235 - 14 Feb 2025
Viewed by 627
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate differences in mastery motivation (MM), mastery pleasure (MP), and self-concept (SC) in singing based on class type (specialized non-specialized music classes) and gender across four grades: 1, 3, 5, and 7. It also explored the relationships between students’ [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate differences in mastery motivation (MM), mastery pleasure (MP), and self-concept (SC) in singing based on class type (specialized non-specialized music classes) and gender across four grades: 1, 3, 5, and 7. It also explored the relationships between students’ demographic variables and the fundamental motivational factors in music education such as MM, MP, and SC. A survey questionnaire was administered to 586 elementary students in grades 1, 3, 5, and 7 in Hungary. The findings showed that the students from specialized music classes had higher MM, MP, and SC compared to those from non-specialized classes. Female students demonstrated higher MM, MP, and SC in signing across all grades, 1, 3, 5, and 7. Moreover, a negative correlation between grade and these factors showed that the younger students had higher MM, MP, and SC in singing than the older students. Demographic factors such as gender, grade, and class type, except for parental education, significantly influenced students’ development in MM, MP, and SC in singing. This study highlights the importance of specialized music education and early engagement in developing MM, MP, and SC in singing, suggesting that appropriate approaches based on age and gender could enhance students’ musical development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Issues in Music Education: International Perspectives)
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