Students with Special Needs in the 21st Century Music Classroom: Practices and Perceptions of Orff- and Non-Orff Trained Educators

Abstract

Students with special needs are increasingly incorporated into the music classroom, yet research suggests music educators feel unsupported and inadequately prepared for work with students who have special needs. The current study investigated music educators’ experience with and perceptions of students with special needs in the music classroom. A total of 99 participants enrolled in graduate level Orff-Schulwerk and non-Orff-Schulwerk courses answered 26 questions on (a) experiences with special learners in the music classroom, (b) teaching practices, and (c) perceptions regarding special learners in the music classroom. Results suggest that the only factor that significantly impacted feelings of preparation to teach special learners in the music classroom was the number of music-specific courses taken related to teaching special learners. The only demographic variable predictive of teachers’ use of multimodal activities in the classroom was the level of Orff training. This suggests that coursework on teaching special learners in the music classroom may contribute to teachers’ feelings of preparation and that the multi-sensory nature of the Orff approach has practical applications for teaching students with disabilities. Future studies should explore other factors that may impact teacher perceptions and practices when working with students with special needs.