Music-related wellbeing as a teaching objective? A critical interpretive synthesis

Abstract

Educational researchers increasingly focus on psychosocial factors, implying the need for an improvement of school settings regarding child wellbeing. However, so far, studies which focus music-related wellbeing of primary school aged children are rare. The paper explores the essential question which empirically based frameworks offer concrete foundations for corresponding educational practices in the music classroom. Hence, the research conducted a critical interpretive review of English-language publications. In a multi-stage process, it sampled publications between 2017 and 2020 targeting children of early primary school age and focussing on a connection between musical practices and well-being. For a full-text analysis, the research selected studies offering theoretical frameworks for synthetic theorisation. Findings show that until now, few studies have focussed on primary school-aged children. However, it also indicates that an integrative model such as the PERMA Well-being Cycle can function as point of reference for the design of educational settings. Departing from ongoing reflections of this research, the paper argues for a differentiated professional perspective on psychosocial processes in the music classroom and music-related wellbeing as an explicit teaching objective instead of following implicit ‘hidden’, yet powerful agendas. The outcome might serve as the clarification of strategies to foster child wellbeing in music education settings.