Experiences and Perceptions of Instrumental Music Teachers about the Inclusive Education of Learners with Disabilities

Based on the right to equal access to quality education for all learners, inclusive education contributes to overall social inclusion, allowing children with disabilities to engage and interact with other pupils in line with their abilities, predispositions, and interests. Based on the social model, this paper aimed to examine the perceptions and experiences of instrumental music teachers about the inclusion of learners with disabilities in primary music education. The research study took place in 2021 on a sample of instrumental music teachers (N=9) employed at public primary music schools. Semi-structured online interviews and thematic analysis served to collect and process the empirical data. According to the research results, instrumental music teachers identified both challenges and the positive and negative aspects of teaching learners with disabilities. Teachers considered their formal education inadequate regarding teaching learners with disabilities and expressed the need to advance their competencies for the area.. Among the barriers to inclusion, they observed a shortage of curricula for teaching learners with disabilities and inadequate methods for assessing learning outcomes. Finally, teachers signalled a need for improvements concerning human resources and organisation, which could enhance the inclusion mechanisms in music education.