An analysis of caregiver perceptions of early childhood music therapy telehealth groups

Abstract

Early childhood music therapy research typically examines the effects of music therapy sessions on children, but little research has examined the perspectives of caregivers: parents of the children and classroom teachers/staff. The purpose of this study was to formally analyse the perceptions of both groups of caregivers of the children who received music therapy services in this 12-week programme. Participants included six Parents and Legal Guardians (PLG) and five Early Childhood Professionals (ECP) who voluntarily took part in individual interviews after the 12-week sessions had concluded. The researchers conducted a thematic analysis of the interviews and created codes, categories, and themes. We identified six themes: two specific to PLG experiences and two specific to ECP, alongside two that were similar across all participants. Results indicated that both groups seemed to need more information as to the purpose of music therapy sessions. Secondarily, stress from the pandemic may have hindered the capacity of both groups to integrate the information from the music therapy research team over the period of the study. Future goals for music therapy researchers in early childhood education settings regarding their relationships with PLG and ECP are discussed.