Contemporary Issues in Music Education: International Perspectives

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

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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.

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