Låtskrivande och musik för alla

: Inkludering och deltagande i musik och låtskriveri för elever i grundsärskolan och gymnasiesärskolan

Abstract

The aim of this study is, from the view of the pedagogues, to investigate and elucidate the function and role of songwriting for students with intellectual disability in compulsory school and upper secondary school in four schools in Sweden. The study is focusing on how pedagogues can make all the students a part of songwriting and what music and songwriting can contribute with for the students. It also looks on the difficulties that we can face when including all the students in songwriting. The socio cultural theory and the cognitive theory KASAM form the theoretical base for this study. Furthermore this study has a qualitative research approach where seven pedagogues have been interviewed. Previous research shows the positive impact of music; Jederlund (2015) among other researchers, implies that when the school makes good use of music as a language, feeling, personal expression, voice-sound-movement and social community it contributes with rich possibilities to personal and social development in a pleasurable form. Previous research also show that music teachers are lacking in knowledge on how to teach students in their classroom with special needs (Altun & Eyüpoğlu, 2018).

The result shows that adjustments in communication and being distinct in contexts are important in order to include all students and make them involved. To include students in songwriting is not a difficulty in itself, however the current state of the students, hyperacusis or the context of the  tuition could complicate the situation for them. Music can affect students in different ways, some of them get carried away while others find it disturbing because of, for example, loud sounds. Overall, the effect of music and songwriting, is seen as something positive because it contributes with higher self esteem, improved communication and joy. Songwriting is meaningful and motivating when songs are written according to the interests of the students. The contribution for special needs education in this study is the knowledge that all students can be included in music and songwriting when communication and adjustments are customised to the needs of the students and their interests. The result can also be generalised to other subjects.