Name
(Dis)abilities in music education research: preliminary results from a 2010-2025 scoping review
Date & Time
Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 11:50 AM - 12:20 PM
Description
In her article “Critical Analysis of Disabilities Discourse in the Journal of Research in Music Education, 1990-2011,” Dobbs (2012) highlighted the prevalence of the medical/deficit model of disability in music education research during that period. She advocated for a shift toward sociocultural, humanistic models in this field. This scoping review provides a comprehensive update on the landscape of (dis)abilities in music education between 2010 and 2025, examining its discursive, pedagogical, and research perspectives. More specifically, the aims of this review are to identify: 1) the terminology used in relation to (dis)abilities; 2) the definitions and conceptualizations of (dis)abilities; and 3) the pedagogical approaches and research methods employed in relation to (dis)abilities in music education.This scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Our search strategy across academic databases and gray literature was guided by the PCC (Population, Concept, Context) framework. Each dimension of the PPC framework was deployed to provide a comprehensive account of the situation of (dis)abilities in music education. The criteria of inclusion for each dimension are as follows: 1) population: music teachers and/or music learners living with a (dis)ability; 2) concept: all (dis)abilities, including cognitive, physical, sensory and developmental (dis)abilities; and 3) context: music education, including all levels (from kindergarten to postgraduate) and all settings, such as schools, informal, community, and out-of-school musical and inclusive contexts (comprising participants with and without [dis]abilities). Research studies from the field of music therapy are excluded. This search strategy enables the exploration of underrepresented perspectives—such as those of (dis)abled teachers or facilitators—, and comparisons across diverse contexts. It also allows for a critical examination of the congruence between the theoretical foundations of research studies and their actual pedagogical and methodological implementations. The preliminary results of this ongoing project will be presented, including the PRISMA Flow Diagram, the bibliometric data of the included references, and a presentation of the terminology and the definitions of (dis)abilities encountered in the literature.
Location Name
210BF
Full Address
Palais des Congres - Montréal Convention Centre
1001, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Montreal QC H2Z 1H2
Canada
Session Type
Paper Presentation
Presenting Author(s)
Jean-Philippe Després