Theory and Practice of Qualitative Approaches in Japanese Music Classroom Research

Abstract

  This paper focuses on qualitative methodologies in Japanese music education research. It tries to illuminate their theoretical framework and to elucidate their role and significance in Japanese music classroom research. Our most recent discussions seem to have brought us the deconstruction of the dichotomy between “qualitative” and “quantitative” paradigms. In this circumstances, the role and significance of the qualitative research have to be considered in a much more flexible methodological framework. In order to make clear what contributions we should expect to the qualitative approaches, further discussions are needed on the following points :

  1) we need to re-examine the multi-disciplinary backgrounds of the qualitative paradigm from the viewpoint of what is needed in Japanese music education research.

  2) we should pay much more attention to the recent Japanese educational researches, where we find a flexible and comprehensive methodological framework working effectively.

  3) in doing qualitative research, music education researchers should be conscious of two advantages ; the one is their practical knowledge and the other is their multi-disciplinary attitude.

  4) the importance of qualitative approaches to music classroom is required to be shown by research practices. This paper exemplifies a qualitative research practice in Japanese elementary school music. It illustrates how children manage to make their own expression in the classroom, which suggests the importance of our learning from children's expression.