Inclusive Pedagogy in Music Education:
A Comparison of the Perspectives of Teachers Across Primary and Special Education Schools in Germany and Türkiye
Cologne International Forum Innovative Tandem Collaboration: 1 February 2025 - 31 January 2026
Dr. Gözde Özenç İra (Ankara, Turkey)
Partner at the University of Cologne: Dr. Theresa Stommel und Dr. Lukas Bugiel (Faculty of Human Science, Special Education and Rehabilitation, Arts and Music)
Abstract
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 share 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.
Dr. Gözde Özenç İra
Gözde Özenç İra is a research assistant in the Department of Primary Education, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye. Her academic interest focuses on music-integrated curricula and inclusive education practices. Gözde devotes her efforts to the development of inclusive pedagogy in general schooling settings, with the goal of fostering social cohesion and a sense of belonging among students with a migration background. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the educational needs of disadvantaged students and teachers’ perspectives on them, she employs a range of empirical research methods. Currently, she is starting her postdoctoral research at the University of Cologne. Her upcoming projects will address inclusive music education, music teacher training, and the intersection between music and migration in the German context. Through these works, she aims to contribute to both theory and pedagogy-oriented knowledge on inclusive music education in culturally diverse societies.
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