Learning with Music : Educatiors' Experiences of the Importance of Music in Special Needs Compulsory School.

Learning through music in the special needs compulsory school caught our interest when we decided on the theme for our study. When reviewing previous research, it became clear that there is limited research on how music is used as a pedagogical tool in adapted education for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). To date, research on the effects of music on learning has primarily been connected to mainstream schooling. The purpose of this study is to consolidate knowledge regarding teachers´ experiences of music as a tool for learning among students with ID in the adapted compulsory school. Based on this purpose the following three research questions were developed: 1. How do teachers describe their personal experiences of using music as a pedagogical tool for learning in the adapted compulsory school? 2. How do teachers perceive that music affects students´ learning? 3. What challenges do teachers experience when using music as a tool for learning in the various subjects/subject areas of the adapted compulsory school? The study is qualitative in nature, and seven teachers working in the adapted compulsory school were interviewed using semi-structured interviews to describe their experiences of the significance of music for learning. To highlight and capture the essential aspects of the teachers´ experiences, phenomenology was chosen as the methodological point of departure. Georgi´s analysis method was used to support the analysis process, which Szklarski (2024) considers suitable for data collections of this scope. The results show that music is used as a pedagogical tool in varied ways across subjects and subject areas in the adapted compulsory school. According to the teachers´ experiences, music can contribute to knowledge acquisition, support memory, cognition, and motivation, as well as promote social interaction and participation during lessons. The challenges teachers encounter relate to the wide range of disabilities present in adapted education. It also emerges that teachers wish to further develop their use of music in their practice through professional development, collegial learning, and increased collaboration. There is a desire for more teaching materials adapted to the student group to enable greater participation and inclusion