Studying Inclusion in Music Education - An Integrative Literature Review as a Support in the Choice of Methodology, Using WebQDA

Abstract

To reflect and clarify the methodological paths we are following, the objectives of this work were to base the choice of the methodology to be used in our research project related to the Inclusive Education of children with special needs in Arts Education Programmes in Music in Portugal. We started by comparing methodologies used in other research studies on the same theme. We carried out an integrative literature review according to the theme of our study. We began by searching articles through selected keywords in English between 2015 and 2020 in the search engine Google Scholar and b-on, and in the databases: ERIC, Web of Science, and Scopus. All the compiled information was organised and studied through content analysis supported by the webQDA software. We compared methodological options of 40 selected studies. We found 3 empirical studies, 27 studies using an interpretative paradigm and 10 studies using a socio-critical perspective. However, according to the subject of our study, there is only one study using the Action-Research Methodology. Nevertheless, considering the other methodological possibilities, we confirmed that this methodology is the most appropriate for our type of study. The flexibility and collaborative nature of Action-Research is an advantage. The researcher can be considered as part of the reality under study, allowing us to achieve an in-depth understanding of the problems and practical situations. From this perspective, all subjects can be participants in the construction of knowledge, in a continuous dialectical process, in favour of inclusion.