PERCEPTIONS OF MUSIC TEACHERS AND PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS REGARDING MUSICALLY GIFTED CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the metaphors that music teachers and prospective teachers use to express their perceptions of musically gifted children with special needs. This qualitative study was conducted using survey methodology with 54 music teachers and 110 prospective music teachers who were chosen through convenience sampling. Phenomenological design, a form of qualitative research, was used for data collection and interpretation in the study.  The researchers prepared questions to collect data, directed them to music teachers and prospective music teachers, and then asked them to complete the following sentence: "If you were to compare children with special needs to something animate or inanimate (concept, phenomena, object, entity, item, plant, color, food, etc.), what would it be? A musically gifted child with special needs is like ... Because …". The researchers interpreted the data they obtained through content analysis, a qualitative data collection method, and statistical analysis. The results of the study revealed that the metaphors used by music teachers and prospective music teachers for musically gifted children with special needs mostly included expressions of positive perception and that they thought that these children could receive professional music education.