case studies music education

• LOGIN & Help

Case study research in music education

• School of Music

Research output : Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

• theoretical framework
• bounded system
• case study misconceptions
• case study analysis

Online availability

• 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199844272.013.007

Library availability

Fingerprint.

• music lessons Social Sciences 100%
• music Social Sciences 12%
• criticism Social Sciences 11%
• Teaching Social Sciences 6%
• learning Social Sciences 4%

T1 - Case study research in music education

AU - Barrett, Janet R

PY - 2014/7

Y1 - 2014/7

N2 - Case studies are ubiquitous in music education. The purpose of this chapter is to a) address divergent definitions of case study; b) represent key dimensions of case studies drawn from these definitions in a diagram; c) relate this diagram to common criticisms and misconceptions surrounding case studies; d) apply resulting analytical insights to four select case studies drawn from music education journals; and e) propose avenues for improving the overall impact and utility of case studies within music education. Researchers are called to strive for rigor in design and analysis, keen attention to the analytic path used to draw inferences from the data, powerful writing that emphasizes the sophisticated interplay between cases and theoretical frameworks, and goodness of fit for investigating music teaching and learning.

AB - Case studies are ubiquitous in music education. The purpose of this chapter is to a) address divergent definitions of case study; b) represent key dimensions of case studies drawn from these definitions in a diagram; c) relate this diagram to common criticisms and misconceptions surrounding case studies; d) apply resulting analytical insights to four select case studies drawn from music education journals; and e) propose avenues for improving the overall impact and utility of case studies within music education. Researchers are called to strive for rigor in design and analysis, keen attention to the analytic path used to draw inferences from the data, powerful writing that emphasizes the sophisticated interplay between cases and theoretical frameworks, and goodness of fit for investigating music teaching and learning.

KW - case study

KW - theoretical framework

KW - bounded system

KW - case study misconceptions

KW - case study analysis

U2 - 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199844272.013.007

DO - 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199844272.013.007

M3 - Chapter

BT - Oxford handbook of qualitative research in American music education

A2 - Conway, Colleen M

PB - Oxford University Press

CY - New York, NY

• Search Menu
• Browse content in Arts and Humanities
• Browse content in Archaeology
• Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Archaeology
• Archaeological Methodology and Techniques
• Archaeology by Region
• Archaeology of Religion
• Archaeology of Trade and Exchange
• Biblical Archaeology
• Contemporary and Public Archaeology
• Environmental Archaeology
• Historical Archaeology
• History and Theory of Archaeology
• Industrial Archaeology
• Landscape Archaeology
• Mortuary Archaeology
• Prehistoric Archaeology
• Underwater Archaeology
• Urban Archaeology
• Zooarchaeology
• Browse content in Architecture
• Architectural Structure and Design
• History of Architecture
• Residential and Domestic Buildings
• Theory of Architecture
• Browse content in Art
• Art Subjects and Themes
• History of Art
• Industrial and Commercial Art
• Theory of Art
• Biographical Studies
• Byzantine Studies
• Browse content in Classical Studies
• Classical History
• Classical Philosophy
• Classical Mythology
• Classical Literature
• Classical Reception
• Classical Art and Architecture
• Classical Oratory and Rhetoric
• Greek and Roman Epigraphy
• Greek and Roman Law
• Greek and Roman Archaeology
• Greek and Roman Papyrology
• Late Antiquity
• Religion in the Ancient World
• Digital Humanities
• Browse content in History
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Diplomatic History
• Environmental History
• Genealogy, Heraldry, Names, and Honours
• Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
• Historical Geography
• History by Period
• History of Agriculture
• History of Education
• History of Emotions
• History of Gender and Sexuality
• Industrial History
• Intellectual History
• International History
• Labour History
• Legal and Constitutional History
• Local and Family History
• Maritime History
• Military History
• National Liberation and Post-Colonialism
• Oral History
• Political History
• Public History
• Regional and National History
• Revolutions and Rebellions
• Slavery and Abolition of Slavery
• Social and Cultural History
• Theory, Methods, and Historiography
• Urban History
• World History
• Browse content in Language Teaching and Learning
• Language Learning (Specific Skills)
• Language Teaching Theory and Methods
• Browse content in Linguistics
• Applied Linguistics
• Cognitive Linguistics
• Computational Linguistics
• Forensic Linguistics
• Grammar, Syntax and Morphology
• Historical and Diachronic Linguistics
• History of English
• Language Acquisition
• Language Variation
• Language Families
• Language Evolution
• Language Reference
• Lexicography
• Linguistic Theories
• Linguistic Typology
• Linguistic Anthropology
• Phonetics and Phonology
• Psycholinguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Translation and Interpretation
• Writing Systems
• Browse content in Literature
• Bibliography
• Children's Literature Studies
• Literary Studies (Asian)
• Literary Studies (European)
• Literary Studies (Eco-criticism)
• Literary Studies (Modernism)
• Literary Studies (Romanticism)
• Literary Studies (American)
• Literary Studies - World
• Literary Studies (1500 to 1800)
• Literary Studies (19th Century)
• Literary Studies (20th Century onwards)
• Literary Studies (African American Literature)
• Literary Studies (British and Irish)
• Literary Studies (Early and Medieval)
• Literary Studies (Fiction, Novelists, and Prose Writers)
• Literary Studies (Gender Studies)
• Literary Studies (Graphic Novels)
• Literary Studies (History of the Book)
• Literary Studies (Plays and Playwrights)
• Literary Studies (Poetry and Poets)
• Literary Studies (Postcolonial Literature)
• Literary Studies (Queer Studies)
• Literary Studies (Science Fiction)
• Literary Studies (Travel Literature)
• Literary Studies (War Literature)
• Literary Studies (Women's Writing)
• Literary Theory and Cultural Studies
• Mythology and Folklore
• Shakespeare Studies and Criticism
• Browse content in Media Studies
• Browse content in Music
• Applied Music
• Dance and Music
• Ethics in Music
• Ethnomusicology
• Gender and Sexuality in Music
• Medicine and Music
• Music Cultures
• Music and Religion
• Music and Culture
• Music and Media
• Music Education and Pedagogy
• Music Theory and Analysis
• Musical Scores, Lyrics, and Libretti
• Musical Structures, Styles, and Techniques
• Musicology and Music History
• Performance Practice and Studies
• Race and Ethnicity in Music
• Sound Studies
• Browse content in Performing Arts
• Browse content in Philosophy
• Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
• Epistemology
• Feminist Philosophy
• History of Western Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Moral Philosophy
• Non-Western Philosophy
• Philosophy of Science
• Philosophy of Action
• Philosophy of Law
• Philosophy of Religion
• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Mind
• Philosophy of Perception
• Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic
• Practical Ethics
• Social and Political Philosophy
• Browse content in Religion
• Biblical Studies
• Christianity
• East Asian Religions
• History of Religion
• Judaism and Jewish Studies
• Qumran Studies
• Religion and Education
• Religion and Health
• Religion and Politics
• Religion and Science
• Religion and Law
• Religion and Art, Literature, and Music
• Religious Studies
• Browse content in Society and Culture
• Cookery, Food, and Drink
• Cultural Studies
• Customs and Traditions
• Ethical Issues and Debates
• Hobbies, Games, Arts and Crafts
• Lifestyle, Home, and Garden
• Natural world, Country Life, and Pets
• Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
• Sports and Outdoor Recreation
• Technology and Society
• Travel and Holiday
• Visual Culture
• Browse content in Law
• Arbitration
• Browse content in Company and Commercial Law
• Commercial Law
• Company Law
• Browse content in Comparative Law
• Systems of Law
• Competition Law
• Browse content in Constitutional and Administrative Law
• Government Powers
• Judicial Review
• Local Government Law
• Military and Defence Law
• Parliamentary and Legislative Practice
• Construction Law
• Contract Law
• Browse content in Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedure
• Criminal Evidence Law
• Sentencing and Punishment
• Employment and Labour Law
• Environment and Energy Law
• Browse content in Financial Law
• Banking Law
• Insolvency Law
• History of Law
• Human Rights and Immigration
• Intellectual Property Law
• Browse content in International Law
• Private International Law and Conflict of Laws
• Public International Law
• IT and Communications Law
• Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law
• Law and Politics
• Law and Society
• Browse content in Legal System and Practice
• Courts and Procedure
• Legal Skills and Practice
• Primary Sources of Law
• Regulation of Legal Profession
• Medical and Healthcare Law
• Browse content in Policing
• Criminal Investigation and Detection
• Police and Security Services
• Police Procedure and Law
• Police Regional Planning
• Browse content in Property Law
• Personal Property Law
• Study and Revision
• Terrorism and National Security Law
• Browse content in Trusts Law
• Wills and Probate or Succession
• Browse content in Medicine and Health
• Browse content in Allied Health Professions
• Arts Therapies
• Clinical Science
• Dietetics and Nutrition
• Occupational Therapy
• Operating Department Practice
• Physiotherapy
• Radiography
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Browse content in Anaesthetics
• General Anaesthesia
• Neuroanaesthesia
• Browse content in Clinical Medicine
• Acute Medicine
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Clinical Genetics
• Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology and Diabetes
• Gastroenterology
• Genito-urinary Medicine
• Geriatric Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Oncology
• Medical Toxicology
• Pain Medicine
• Palliative Medicine
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology
• Rheumatology
• Sleep Medicine
• Sports and Exercise Medicine
• Clinical Neuroscience
• Community Medical Services
• Critical Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Forensic Medicine
• Haematology
• History of Medicine
• Browse content in Medical Dentistry
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Paediatric Dentistry
• Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics
• Surgical Dentistry
• Medical Ethics
• Browse content in Medical Skills
• Clinical Skills
• Communication Skills
• Nursing Skills
• Surgical Skills
• Medical Statistics and Methodology
• Browse content in Neurology
• Clinical Neurophysiology
• Neuropathology
• Nursing Studies
• Browse content in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Gynaecology
• Occupational Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology (ENT)
• Browse content in Paediatrics
• Neonatology
• Browse content in Pathology
• Chemical Pathology
• Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics
• Histopathology
• Medical Microbiology and Virology
• Patient Education and Information
• Browse content in Pharmacology
• Psychopharmacology
• Browse content in Popular Health
• Caring for Others
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Self-help and Personal Development
• Browse content in Preclinical Medicine
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology and Genetics
• Reproduction, Growth and Development
• Primary Care
• Professional Development in Medicine
• Browse content in Psychiatry
• Addiction Medicine
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Forensic Psychiatry
• Learning Disabilities
• Old Age Psychiatry
• Psychotherapy
• Browse content in Public Health and Epidemiology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Browse content in Radiology
• Clinical Radiology
• Interventional Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiation Oncology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Browse content in Surgery
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Gastro-intestinal and Colorectal Surgery
• General Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Paediatric Surgery
• Peri-operative Care
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Transplant Surgery
• Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Browse content in Science and Mathematics
• Browse content in Biological Sciences
• Aquatic Biology
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Ecology and Conservation
• Evolutionary Biology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Microbiology
• Molecular and Cell Biology
• Natural History
• Plant Sciences and Forestry
• Research Methods in Life Sciences
• Structural Biology
• Systems Biology
• Zoology and Animal Sciences
• Browse content in Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Computational Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Environmental Chemistry
• Industrial Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Mineralogy and Gems
• Organic Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Polymer Chemistry
• Study and Communication Skills in Chemistry
• Theoretical Chemistry
• Browse content in Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Architecture and Logic Design
• Game Studies
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Mathematical Theory of Computation
• Programming Languages
• Software Engineering
• Systems Analysis and Design
• Virtual Reality
• Browse content in Computing
• Business Applications
• Computer Security
• Computer Games
• Computer Networking and Communications
• Digital Lifestyle
• Graphical and Digital Media Applications
• Operating Systems
• Browse content in Earth Sciences and Geography
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Environmental Geography
• Geology and the Lithosphere
• Maps and Map-making
• Meteorology and Climatology
• Oceanography and Hydrology
• Palaeontology
• Physical Geography and Topography
• Regional Geography
• Soil Science
• Urban Geography
• Browse content in Engineering and Technology
• Agriculture and Farming
• Biological Engineering
• Civil Engineering, Surveying, and Building
• Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Energy Technology
• Engineering (General)
• Environmental Science, Engineering, and Technology
• History of Engineering and Technology
• Mechanical Engineering and Materials
• Technology of Industrial Chemistry
• Transport Technology and Trades
• Browse content in Environmental Science
• Applied Ecology (Environmental Science)
• Conservation of the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Environmental Sustainability
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Environmental Science)
• Management of Land and Natural Resources (Environmental Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environmental Science)
• Nuclear Issues (Environmental Science)
• Pollution and Threats to the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Environmental Science)
• History of Science and Technology
• Browse content in Materials Science
• Ceramics and Glasses
• Composite Materials
• Metals, Alloying, and Corrosion
• Nanotechnology
• Browse content in Mathematics
• Applied Mathematics
• Biomathematics and Statistics
• History of Mathematics
• Mathematical Education
• Mathematical Finance
• Mathematical Analysis
• Numerical and Computational Mathematics
• Probability and Statistics
• Pure Mathematics
• Browse content in Neuroscience
• Cognition and Behavioural Neuroscience
• Development of the Nervous System
• Disorders of the Nervous System
• History of Neuroscience
• Invertebrate Neurobiology
• Molecular and Cellular Systems
• Neuroendocrinology and Autonomic Nervous System
• Neuroscientific Techniques
• Sensory and Motor Systems
• Browse content in Physics
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Biological and Medical Physics
• Classical Mechanics
• Computational Physics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Electromagnetism, Optics, and Acoustics
• History of Physics
• Mathematical and Statistical Physics
• Measurement Science
• Nuclear Physics
• Particles and Fields
• Plasma Physics
• Quantum Physics
• Relativity and Gravitation
• Semiconductor and Mesoscopic Physics
• Browse content in Psychology
• Affective Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Criminal and Forensic Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Evolutionary Psychology
• Health Psychology
• History and Systems in Psychology
• Music Psychology
• Neuropsychology
• Organizational Psychology
• Psychological Assessment and Testing
• Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction
• Psychology Professional Development and Training
• Research Methods in Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Browse content in Social Sciences
• Browse content in Anthropology
• Anthropology of Religion
• Human Evolution
• Medical Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology
• Regional Anthropology
• Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Theory and Practice of Anthropology
• Browse content in Business and Management
• Business Strategy
• Business History
• Business Ethics
• Business and Government
• Business and Technology
• Business and the Environment
• Comparative Management
• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Entrepreneurship
• Health Management
• Human Resource Management
• Industrial and Employment Relations
• Industry Studies
• Information and Communication Technologies
• International Business
• Knowledge Management
• Management and Management Techniques
• Operations Management
• Organizational Theory and Behaviour
• Pensions and Pension Management
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Strategic Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Browse content in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Criminal Justice
• Criminology
• Forms of Crime
• International and Comparative Criminology
• Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
• Development Studies
• Browse content in Economics
• Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Resource Economics
• Asian Economics
• Behavioural Finance
• Behavioural Economics and Neuroeconomics
• Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
• Economic Systems
• Economic Methodology
• Economic History
• Economic Development and Growth
• Financial Markets
• Financial Institutions and Services
• General Economics and Teaching
• Health, Education, and Welfare
• History of Economic Thought
• International Economics
• Labour and Demographic Economics
• Law and Economics
• Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
• Microeconomics
• Public Economics
• Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
• Welfare Economics
• Browse content in Education
• Adult Education and Continuous Learning
• Care and Counselling of Students
• Early Childhood and Elementary Education
• Educational Equipment and Technology
• Educational Strategies and Policy
• Higher and Further Education
• Organization and Management of Education
• Philosophy and Theory of Education
• Schools Studies
• Secondary Education
• Teaching of a Specific Subject
• Teaching of Specific Groups and Special Educational Needs
• Teaching Skills and Techniques
• Browse content in Environment
• Applied Ecology (Social Science)
• Climate Change
• Conservation of the Environment (Social Science)
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Social Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environment)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Social Science)
• Browse content in Human Geography
• Cultural Geography
• Economic Geography
• Political Geography
• Browse content in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Communication Studies
• Museums, Libraries, and Information Sciences
• Browse content in Politics
• African Politics
• Asian Politics
• Chinese Politics
• Comparative Politics
• Conflict Politics
• Elections and Electoral Studies
• Environmental Politics
• European Union
• Foreign Policy
• Gender and Politics
• Human Rights and Politics
• Indian Politics
• International Relations
• International Organization (Politics)
• International Political Economy
• Irish Politics
• Latin American Politics
• Middle Eastern Politics
• Political Methodology
• Political Communication
• Political Philosophy
• Political Sociology
• Political Theory
• Political Behaviour
• Political Economy
• Political Institutions
• Politics and Law
• Public Administration
• Public Policy
• Quantitative Political Methodology
• Regional Political Studies
• Russian Politics
• Security Studies
• State and Local Government
• UK Politics
• US Politics
• Browse content in Regional and Area Studies
• African Studies
• Asian Studies
• East Asian Studies
• Japanese Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Native American Studies
• Scottish Studies
• Browse content in Research and Information
• Research Methods
• Browse content in Social Work
• Addictions and Substance Misuse
• Adoption and Fostering
• Care of the Elderly
• Child and Adolescent Social Work
• Couple and Family Social Work
• Developmental and Physical Disabilities Social Work
• Direct Practice and Clinical Social Work
• Emergency Services
• Human Behaviour and the Social Environment
• International and Global Issues in Social Work
• Mental and Behavioural Health
• Social Justice and Human Rights
• Social Policy and Advocacy
• Social Work and Crime and Justice
• Social Work Macro Practice
• Social Work Practice Settings
• Social Work Research and Evidence-based Practice
• Welfare and Benefit Systems
• Browse content in Sociology
• Childhood Studies
• Community Development
• Comparative and Historical Sociology
• Economic Sociology
• Gender and Sexuality
• Gerontology and Ageing
• Health, Illness, and Medicine
• Marriage and the Family
• Migration Studies
• Occupations, Professions, and Work
• Organizations
• Population and Demography
• Race and Ethnicity
• Social Theory
• Social Movements and Social Change
• Social Research and Statistics
• Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
• Sociology of Religion
• Sociology of Education
• Sport and Leisure
• Urban and Rural Studies
• Browse content in Warfare and Defence
• Defence Strategy, Planning, and Research
• Land Forces and Warfare
• Military Administration
• Military Life and Institutions
• Naval Forces and Warfare
• Other Warfare and Defence Issues
• Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
• Weapons and Equipment

• < Previous chapter
• Next chapter >

Case Study in Music Education

Janet R. Barrett, University of Illinois

• Published: 02 June 2014
• This version: July 2014
• Latest version

A newer version of this chapter is available.

• Cite Icon Cite
• Permissions Icon Permissions

This chapter discusses the widespread prevalence of case studies and the role they play in music education research. It has five goals: to address divergent definitions of case study; to represent key dimensions of case studies drawn from these definitions in a diagram; to address common criticisms and misconceptions related to tensions between theoretical and context-dependent knowledge, generalizability, and rigor; to apply resulting analytical insights to select case studies drawn from music education journals; and to propose avenues for improving the overall impact and utility of case studies within music education based on their particularity and complexity.

Case studies are frequently employed in music education research, in education at large, and across the social sciences, and for good reason. A scan of scholarly journals confirms their widespread use, which is further substantiated in content analyses of qualitative articles and dissertations ( Kantorski and Stegman 2006 ; Lane 2011 ). The ubiquity of case study as a form of inquiry can be attributed to many factors related to the adaptability of its design and process, compatibility with educational research, transparency for readers, and pedagogical utility in research education. Accompanying their widespread use is widespread criticism as well. Case studies are often critiqued for lack of methodological rigor, irregularity in design, and limited utility. VanWynsberghe and Khan, for example, pose the challenge: “Why is [case study] so regularly invoked in educational and other social science research and yet so irregularly, randomly, and poorly defined?” ( 2007 , 80). Merriam observes that case studies in education have come to serve as a “catch-all” category for studies that cannot easily be identified as another type ( 1998 , 18).

This chapter has five purposes: to address divergent definitions of case study; to represent key dimensions of case studies drawn from these definitions in a diagram; to relate this diagram to common criticisms and misconceptions surrounding case studies; to apply resulting analytical insights to select case studies drawn from music education journals; and to propose avenues for improving the overall impact and utility of case studies within music education.

7.1 On the Prevalence of Case Study in Music Education

It may be useful to elaborate further on the appeal and prevalence of case studies in music education. One primary reason is their affinity to related fields within the social sciences. The roots of case study lie in the fields of anthropology, sociology, and psychology, which have historically informed education as an especially synthetic field. In turn, music education research is a hybrid of an arts discipline infused with modes of inquiry freely adapted from the social sciences. Accordingly, case studies lend themselves to central issues of teaching, learning, schools, and subject matters. Their highly contextual nature lends itself well to educational settings, in which there is likely to be considerable entanglement of phenomenon and context ( Yin 2009 , 18).

The focus of the case is infinitely variable—a person, an event, a program, a group, or multiple entities—depending upon how the researcher defines, or binds, the territory of what is to be studied. Cases can be single or multiple, oriented toward a single holistic unity, or pointed toward various embedded instances within a context ( Yin 2009 ). They can be oriented in historical frames as well as grounded in contemporary issues. The researcher’s process of defining and articulating a bounded system worthy of study is what Ragin calls “casing” ( 1992 , 218). The process affords flexibility of focus in broadly defining the phenomenon of interest; as researchers subsequently draw boundaries more closely, the scope of the case comes into sharp view. The leeway afforded in the selection and binding of the case tailors the case study to the myriad musical issues related to persons, programs, processes, and contexts.

Of special interest in this chapter is the capacity of case studies to convey the particularity and complexity that attends a phenomenon of interest. Aspects of the lived experience of music teaching and learning are often too nuanced, contextualized, and interdependent to be reduced to discrete variables. The dynamic intersections of subject matter, learners, teachers, and educational milieu are vital to music educator’s professional understanding; case study reports can aptly convey the multifaceted ecologies of life in music classrooms.

Multiplicity is another hallmark. Case studies lend themselves to multiple scholarly orientations such as ethnography, phenomenology, social constructivism, and critical perspectives, in which the types of questions and the stances toward inquiry are steeped in interdependent networks of thought and practice. The case study approach (if indeed, there is any uniformity of approach, a question to be addressed later) employs multiple methods of data collection, drawing generously from related traditions within qualitative research. Fieldwork, observation, interviews, document analysis, and other items of material culture are commonly utilized.

A layperson who seldom reads research accounts has an implicit sense that a case study involves keen scrutiny of a topic requiring careful investigation, lasting duration, and clear purpose. This transparency of intent broadens their appeal. Case study reports, which build on narrative, literary, and other authorial conventions, allow for broad readership. Compared to some other forms of inquiry, case studies generally pose fewer barriers to reading and interpretation. Rich description, for example, allows the reader to come close to lived situations, feel their pulse and tensions, and weigh how they might extend to other settings and situations. Verisimilitude, when achieved, extends the immediacy, impact, and practical significance of cases.

Pedagogical applications to research education are of considerable interest. For those who teach qualitative research methods, case studies provide meaningful and manageable frameworks for students taking their first forays into systematic interpretive inquiry. Case studies can be delimited in such a way (by making thoughtful decisions about binding the case, the duration of the study, availability of participants for purposeful sampling, etc.) to allow novice qualitative researchers to experience all of the phases of conducting a qualitative study in a relatively concise and timely fashion. Conducting a condensed version of a case study as a collective exercise in a methods class has proven fruitful in teaching qualitative analysis and interpretation ( Barrett 2007 ), in addition to the common practice of conducting individual pilot projects within the supportive structures of a research methods course.

7.2 Divergent Conceptions of Case Study

Definitions matter in that they often encapsulate the essential components of a methodological design or approach. In case study research, such definitions abound. Many influential texts address this proliferation, addressed by VanWynsberghe and Khan: “The past three decades of scholarship on case study research have produced more than 25 different definitions of case study, each with its own particular emphasis and direction for research” ( VanWynsberghe and Khan 2007 , 81). Repeatedly, the question emerges: Is case study a method, an approach, or a research design? To address this persistent dilemma, I have chosen key examples for commentary, drawing from commonly cited methodologists associated with case study, such as Robert E. Stake, Robert K. Yin, and Sharan B. Merriam, as well as scholars who are less frequently cited in music education (Helen Simons, Gary Thomas, Rob VanWynsberghe, and Samia Khan) but whose thinking is germane. Each of these researchers emphasizes or accentuates various components of case study; when studied together, key attributes and their relationships emerge.

Stake’s definition is one of the most frequently cited:

Case study is the study of the particularity and complexity of a single case, coming to understand its activity within important circumstances. ( 1995 , xi)

Here, Stake emphasizes both the focal center—the single case—and its concomitant circumstances or context. The implied purpose is understanding through multidimensional elaboration of the specific features of the case and their interrelations, the “particularity and complexity.” Stake elaborates that in education and social sciences, researchers concentrate on persons and programs to understand them “for both their uniqueness and commonality” (1). Many researchers, however, looking for guidance in constructing and carrying out a case study have been puzzled by this oft-quoted passage from Stake’s later writing:

Case study is not a methodological choice but a choice of what is to be studied…By whatever methods, we choose to study the case . We could study it analytically or holistically, entirely by repeated measures or hermeneutically, organically or culturally, and by mixed methods—but we concentrate, at least for the time being, on the case. ( Stake 2005 , 443)

This passage unambiguously centers on the subject of interest for the case study while conveying both broad possibility and considerable ambiguity regarding the design and conduct of the study.

Robert K. Yin, also known for his series of texts on case study research, emphasizes rigor in design, while also embracing the complementary nature of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Yin forwards a two-pronged definition that moves into the methodological. The first installment of the definition aligns with Stake’s, stressing the interactions of the focal subject of the case and its naturalistic setting:

A case study is an empirical inquiry that

Investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its real-life context, especially when

The boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. ( Yin 2009 , 18)

In the second part of the definition, Yin addresses methodological aspects of design to guide the logical conduct of the study:

The case study inquiry

Copes with the technically distinctive situation in which there will be many more variables of interest than data points, and as one result

Relies on multiple sources of evidence, with data needing to converge in a triangulating fashion, and as another result

Benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions to guide data collection and analysis. ( Yin, 2009 , 18)

This further elaboration of the case study emphasizes the process of conducting the case study by drawing attention to multiple variables, sources of evidence, the need for triangulation, and the use of theoretical constructs to inform data generation and analysis. Merriam (1998) points out these distinctions in her discussion of Stake and Yin’s definitions, bridging both emphases while also drawing attention to the final outcome of inquiry:

Case studies can be defined in terms of the process of conducting the inquiry, the bounded system or unit of analysis selected for study, or the product, the end report of a case investigation. (43)

An especially productive conception of the case study is forwarded by Thomas, who recasts the way the unit of analysis is considered while simultaneously giving weight to the analytical frame that gives a case shape and purpose. Thomas suggests that a case study comprises two elements:

A “practical, historical unity,” which I shall call the subject of the case study, and

An analytical or theoretical frame, which I shall call the object of the study. (2011b, 513)

The subject of the case study (by which he means the focal center, rather than participants) maps onto previous delineations of the bounded case in context. Thomas gives equal balance, however, to the object. His concept of the analytical or theoretical frame is well worth pursuing, as the underdevelopment of this frame fuels many criticisms of case studies, and often plagues work in music education particularly. As he explains, cases are always instances of a larger class; they are cases of something. Potential explanations or thinking tools (here drawing from Bourdieu), drawn from theory or developed to scaffold the emerging constructs, are constructed to illuminate the phenomenon of interest. The object is the “analytical focus that crystallizes, thickens, or develops as the study proceeds” ( Thomas 2011a , 514). In Thomas’s view, a clear articulation of the object, even in its dramatic unfolding, is essential in grounding the assumptions that relate to the selection of the case and justify its purposes, as well as in the process of relating the findings to larger issues that arise from the study of the case. Thus—and this is a crucial distinction for those who maintain that case studies are not generalizable—the particularistic nature of case studies can extend to instances of the phenomenon beyond the case itself. Thomas combines these two elements in the following definition:

Case studies are analyses of persons, events, decisions, periods, projects, policies, or other systems that are studied holistically by one or more methods. The case that is the subject of the inquiry will be an instance of a class or phenomena that provides an analytical frame—an object—within which the study is conducted and which the case illuminates and explicates. ( Thomas 2011b , 513)

Thomas’s critique of underdeveloped or undertheorized studies goes to the heart of the matter, addressing the problem of extendability, or use of the case study findings outside the direct case itself, head-on:

The ostensible looseness of the case study as a form of inquiry and the conspicuous primacy given to the case (the subject) is perhaps a reason for inexperienced social inquirers, especially students, to neglect to establish any kind of object (literally and technically) for their inquiries. Identifying only a subject , they fail to seek to explain anything, providing instead, therefore, a simple description in place of a piece of research. For the study to constitute research, there has to be something to be explained (an object) and something potentially to offer explanation (the analysis of the circumstances of the subject). (513)

One final excerpt will draw attention to a final element of case study research, that of the purpose of the inquiry, taken to mean the broad uses to which the case study can be put (rather than the specific purpose statement within the study itself). Simons’s definition aligns with many dimensions already noted, but goes beyond the description of the inquiry as product, process, subject, or object, to articulate powerful outcomes:

Case study is an in-depth exploration from multiple perspectives of the complexity and uniqueness of a particular project, policy, institution, programme or system in a “real life” context. It is research-based, inclusive of different methods and is evidence-led. The primary purpose is to generate an in-depth understanding of a specific topic (as in a thesis), programme, policy, institution, or system to generate knowledge and/or inform policy development, professional practice and civil or community action. ( 2009 , 21)

Each research methodologist emphasizes various components of case studies. Notably, however, the definitions do not, as a whole, restrict the researcher to a fixed set of methodological procedures, analytic moves, or representational forms. These remain open-ended and flexible. Thus, learning to conduct, guide, or evaluate case studies in music education depends on keen decisions for selecting and binding the case (the subject), articulating its conceptual or analytical frameworks (the object), employing appropriate and multiple strategies for data generation, addressing clear purposes, and providing a detailed report of the case that is particularistic and complex. The actual strategies for data generation and analysis, however, may be borrowed from other qualitative forms of inquiry, as may the analytical techniques used to draw meanings from the data, and the verification strategies ( Creswell, 2007 ) employed to lend credence to the findings. Reading multiple research texts and examples has led me to conclude that there is little that is fixed in case studies regarding data collection, analysis, and validation beyond the guidelines and heuristics that guide most qualitative inquiries. Thus, in this chapter, I will not articulate a method for case study, since the procedures and criteria for conducting a case study overlap or mirror other designs.

I have drawn from these conceptual definitions to represent these components in the diagram that follows (Figure 1 ).

This diagram attempts a synthesis of the definitions discussed above and their corresponding emphases. It conveys the interdependent nature of the case itself as a bounded system in context (Stake, Yin, Merriam), in complementary balance with the object of the case, the phenomenon situated within an analytical frame (Thomas). The use of the arrow between the subject and object is especially important to denote the dynamic nature of the theoretical frame as it intersects with the bounded system delineating the case. Ragin notes the interdependence of “ideas and evidence” ( 1992 , 218) as each implicates the other. The extended purposes of the case (Simons) are addressed through the particularized and detailed presentation of the case (Merriam) to illuminate and explainthe phenomenon. The processes of data generation and collection, analysis, and interpretation are more open-ended and variable, allowing researchers to structure the design and conduct of a study in ways that meet other criteria for qualitative research processes. In the final research report, these dimensions are communicated through the skillful, scholarly, and occasionally artful, presentation of the study.

Dimensions of a Case Study

7.3 Misunderstandings and Criticisms

Researchers conducting or learning to conduct qualitative research often encounter predictable criticisms that make up what Flyvbjerg calls the “conventional view, or orthodoxy, of the case study” ( 2011 , 302). He takes on the paradox that case studies seem to be ubiquitous but generally held in very low esteem within academe. Flyvbjerg presents five misunderstandings about case study that, when confronted, could ameliorate this status problem (Table 1 ):

General, rule-bound knowledge systems, a hallmark of disciplined inquiry in the natural sciences, facilitate explanation and prediction. In contrast, research on the nature of human learning emphasizes concrete context-dependent knowledge, which when constructed allows learners to progress from novice to more expert levels of understanding. Case studies, then, are central to the development of expertise founded on the nuanced and refined examination of concrete cases. As an example of this epistemological contrast, Flyvbjerg cites Donald Campbell, probably the most well-known methodologist in social science, who initially dismissed context-based studies as having little to contribute to context-independent and predictive theory. Later, he came to revise his view by acknowledging that naturalistic observation, “noisy, fallible, and biased though it be” ( 1975 , 179), is valuable in social inquiry. Music education looks to case studies for multiple accounts of concrete, context-based knowledge, crucial in forming collective expertise and professional knowledge to inform teaching and learning.

Flyvbjerg’s second misconception raises the thorny question of generalizability, a frequently sounded alarm when it comes to the applicability and overall significance of case studies. Many efforts in qualitative research have been devoted to either rejecting the possibility of generalization as fundamentally incommensurable with idiographic inquiry (“based on the particular individual”) when placed at odds with nomothetic research (“based on laws”), 1 or reconceptualizing different types of generalization in order to find reasonable justifications for case studies to point beyond the particular. Flyvbjerg’s position is that in certain instances case study findings can be useful in “testing theory in a ‘soft sense,’ that is for testing propositions and hypotheses” ( 2011 , 305). One instance in particular is in falsification, wherein carefully documented observations can result in the revision or rejection of theoretical propositions. Aligning with the reconceptualists, many researchers distinguish other types of generalizability from more positivist or “scientific” assumptions, such as Yin’s concept of “analytic generalization,” which “depend(s) on using a study’s theoretical framework to establish a logic that might be applicable to other situations,” enabling researchers to claim that findings “are generalizable to theoretical propositions and not to populations or universes” ( 2012 , 18). A related reconceptualization is “transferability,” involving “generalizations from one case to another (similar) case” ( Onwuegbuzie and Leech 2010 , 883).

The issue of generalizability has considerable import for researchers in music education. Taking the latter notion of transferability first, this implies that researchers describe the particularities of their cases and contexts to such a degree that readers can determine the extent to which findings from the case study can be deemed relevant to settings outside the case. Transferability, then, rests on the thick description of the case and its complexities. The other aspect of transferability has to do with the reader’s capacities to extend the findings to other instances and settings. In other words, the responsibility for transferability rests with both the researcher and the reader.

Analytic generalizability has much to do with the framework of concepts, assertions, and assumptions that undergird the case and the way this framework is expanded, revised, streamlined, and made more complex and tangible as a result of the analysis. Literature reviews, for example, often provide a scaffolding of related constructs that are used by the researcher in building a more nuanced conception of the case. These a priori concepts, however, need not constrict the case; instead, they inform data generation, analysis, and interpretation. When the theoretical frame of the case is subsequently redrawn, then, the insights that permit new understandings inform the use, interpretation, and even the extendability of the findings to new studies or situations. Thus, in analytic generalization, the principles—in their redrawn form—carry across from the case to situations outside the case, not the specific instances.

Flyvbjerg’s third misconception relates to both the intended use of case studies in theory building and generation and also their relationships to other forms of inquiry. Case studies are sometimes viewed as initial steps within an overall line of inquiry in order to generate hypotheses that can subsequently be examined through other approaches. Flyvbjerg counters that case studies are useful in examining all sorts of knowledge dependent upon the researcher’s information-oriented selection of the case. For example, extreme or deviant cases are warranted to test the “limits of existing theories and to develop new concepts, variables, and theories” related to these extreme cases. Maximum variation cases can demonstrate the “significance of various circumstances” for cases “that are very different on one dimension.” Critical cases are those that have “strategic importance in relation to the general problem.” They describe instances in which more typical positive instances occur, as well as “least likely” or negative cases. Finally, Flyvbjerg mentions paradigmatic cases, purposefully chosen because they are likely to contribute to the development of “a metaphor or establish a school for the domain that the case concerns” ( 2011 , 307). Of course, researchers may not be able to determine a priori how the case will fall into a categorical type, and in fact, there may be overlap.

Flyvbjerg’s fourth misconception is tied intrinsically to the researcher’s position, stemming from concern that researchers will show bias as preconceived notions crowd out alternate observations and explanations. Claims of rigor are suspect when the researcher’s observations, professional experience, and immersion in related literature inhibit perception and critical thought rather than enabling them. Yet subjectivity is also seen as positive rather than detrimental. Since the researcher serves as the instrument, this entanglement is not only necessary but also unavoidable. Again, Flyvbjerg claims that through observation, interviewing, document analysis, and other methods, researchers often question their prior assumptions and revise them as new data are generated through fieldwork. He maintains that

the case study contains no greater bias toward verification of the researcher’s preconceived notions than other methods of inquiry. On the contrary, experience indicates that the case study contains a greater bias toward falsification of preconceived notions than toward verification. (2011, 311)

A particularly useful account of the interplay of observation and interpretation in a music teaching and learning setting can be found in Barrett and Mills (2009) , who describe how they subjected their data generation methods and findings to critical analysis while jointly conducting an ethnographic case study of an English cathedral choir school.

Finally, the fifth misunderstanding has to do with the reporting of the findings of case studies related to the difficulty of summarizing and developing theory on the basis of their conduct. Case studies are replete with data and interpretation in order to fulfill their primary goal of particularizing and complexifying the case under scrutiny. Dense case material cannot be easily reduced to a tidy set of principles, executive summaries, or tight conclusions. The solution, recommends Flyvbjerg, is to keep case studies open, rather than closing them up. This requires that the researcher present the complex, multidimensional narrative of the case without reverting to facile encapsulations and superficial overviews. “Something essential may be lost by summarizing,” he cautions ( 2011 , 312). At the same time, researchers may link the findings of the study to one or more theoretical orientations while leaving the readers to decide on the goodness of fit from their perspectives. In this way, the “case study…can contribute to the cumulative development of knowledge…in using the principles and propositions” (313) that lead to analytical generalization or transferability.

Other conceptual and methodological problems mentioned in the literature include insufficient framing of the study (lack of conceptual structure); lack of transparency in conducting the study; insufficient analysis or interpretation of data; failure to address alternate explanations; shallow rather than detailed description; and ambiguity such that it is difficult to build a line of inquiry stemming from the substantive contributions of a case. Much methodological rigor rests on the explicit “trail” of decisions, which Stake suggests as a first line of defense against common critiques of case studies as:

subjective, arbitrary, nonrepresentative, and inconclusive. Which is probably true, but the study is not thus invalidated. The counter to these charges, if strong efforts to produce a valid study have occurred, is a good description of the methodological and conceptual reasoning that took place, including efforts at verification and disconfirmation. ( 1988 , 273)

Methodological rigor is often the clarion call for improving the quality of research; Stake’s admonition rings loudly for those conducting, reviewing, guiding, or teaching qualitative research. Such rigor is the warrant on which validity rests. In addition to this foundation, case studies in music education must attend to additional criteria. They fall short of expectations when researchers fail to portray the case in its fullness, or when the findings stitch together a patchwork quilt of data that does not sum up to a coherent whole. They also miss the mark when researchers stop short of reintegrating the study’s findings into the fabric of what is already known about the topic under study.

7.4 Frameworks for Analysis of Case Studies

Critical analysis of research efforts is essential for many purposes: to guide the conduct of researchers’ efforts toward the submission of publishable reports; to influence peer review and useful professional commentary; and to expand the professional capacity of a field or discipline. Many useful heuristics for the evaluation of qualitative research can be adapted to evaluate case study research. One particularly useful approach involves “big-tent” criteria for determining quality including worthy topic, rich rigor, sincerity, credibility, resonance, significant contribution, ethical considerations, and meaningful coherence ( Tracy 2010 ). Yin (2009) argues that designating a study as exemplary involves considerations that go far beyond faithful adherence to methodological procedures and criteria. In order to contribute to research efforts in sustainable, lasting, and valid ways, he offers five characteristics tailored specifically to case study, that they “be significant, be complete, consider alternative perspectives, display sufficient evidence, and be composed in an engaging manner” (185–90).

Perhaps one of the most central attributes of a case study is its utility, its descriptive, analytical, or critical power to inform practice, policy, research, civic action, or professional discourse. In order to argue for case study as a valid and worthwhile form of activity, researchers must be able to articulate what case studies are good for, in addition to being able to identity good examples. Peshkin wrote: “the proof of research conducted by whatever means resides in the pudding of its outcomes” ( 1993 , 23). Thomas puts it plainly: “What the case study is especially good for is getting a rich picture and gaining analytical insights from it” ( 2011a , 23).

After reading methodological literature and numerous critiques of case study research, I launched into the central task of identifying compelling and informative case studies for examination. I sought case studies that went beyond taken-for-granted assumptions, searching for levels of particularity that penetrated beneath and beyond common discourse and common sense. I also searched for case studies that would exemplify complex relationships within theoretical concepts, illustrating intricate and sometimes contradictory tensions in musical experience. To select examples, I examined case studies in prominent English-language journals of music education from the past ten years, including the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education , the Journal of Research in Music Education , Music Education Research , Research Studies in Music Education , and the Journal of Music Teacher Education . The studies described in the section that follows are not intended to be representative of a certain typology of case studies nor are they intended as a review of literature. The findings or topical focus of the studies were of less importance in selection than their utility in illustrating the overall architecture of case studies and the interplay between subject, object, and purpose inherent in the research report. I drew heavily on my reading of methodological literature to select four studies for discussion. Two of the studies ( Carlow 2006 ; Matsunobu 2011 ) provide particularly complex and intricate “close up” pictures of participants’ experience; two of the studies ( Haston and Russell 2012 ; Langston and Barrett 2008 ) illustrate the usefulness of case studies in expanding theoretical frames toward a “big picture” view. Before discussion of each study, I provide the researcher(s)’ abstracts for an encapsulated overview of the purpose, the central phenomenon, identification of the case, methodological processes, and key findings. Following the abstract, I discuss the case study in light of the dimensions outlined in Figure 1 , concentrating on the subject, object, purpose, and presentation of each project.

7.5 Examining Select Case Studies in Music Education

7.5.1   diva irina: an english language learner in high school choir ( carlow 2006 ).

This article is based on a yearlong collective case study (2003–2004) that examined the perceptions of five English Language Learner (ELL) high school students enrolled in the same choral class. The article includes a short narrative essay, which highlights the experience of one of the student participants in the larger study. The premise of the research was based on what I perceived as a tension between the socio-cultural institution of traditional American high school choral programs and ELL students’ previous and current experiences with singing. The primary research question was “What are the musical experiences of immigrant students who sing in high school choir?” Data included student and teacher surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews, student journals, classroom and performance observations, and video analysis. Data were analyzed using the NVIVO system, which provided an efficient means for open-coding, analysis, and interpretation. Findings implied that some discourse norms in secondary choral classes can be viewed as culturally incongruent with ELL students’ previous musical experiences. (63)

A worn truism in teaching is “get to know your students.” In ensemble contexts that constitute the predominant settings for music teaching and learning in US secondary schools, teachers are challenged to live up to this adage in an increasingly diverse, postmodern milieu. Carlow’s case study of Irina Choi, a student whose Russian and Korean heritage goes largely unacknowledged within her high school choir, calls into question the intersections of cultural identity and musical participation. Irina is in no way representative of high school choristers; she is likely not representative of immigrant students either. Her typicality is not the point; rather, her “outlier-ness” ( Thomas 2011b , 5) is the provocative bridge to the object of the study—the musical experiences of immigrant students. The explanatory power of this study comes from identifying the tensions of Irina’s musical experience in context. Carlow’s “casing” stems from her decision to seek out a school setting with a “significant population of immigrant students” (66) and to explore the experiences of the students within the setting of a non-auditioned choir. The case subject was bound by Carlow’s interaction with students over a 10-month period, although in many ways the boundaries were drawn larger since a significant source of insight was Irina’s description of her previous musical experience in Russia and Kazakhstan. Neither was the study bound to place, as Carlow observed Irina in settings outside choir—most specifically at an International Club talent show at the school where Irina appeared as a diva of Russian popular music. Carlow opens the study with a telling juxtaposition of Irina observed in two contexts—as a vibrant, assured solo performer in the talent show, and as a disgruntled soprano melting into anonymity and indifference in the third row of fourth-period choir.

The evocative presentation of the case hinges on Carlow’s skill in presenting Irina in her own voice through a narrative essay, which draws the reader into the uncertain landscape of identity that Irina travels as she contrasts her visceral engagement in Russian music with what she feels are the stultifying rituals, expectations, and repertoires of the high school chorus. As an adolescent English Language Learner, Irina must “crack the code” of choir to discover what and who is valued; as she does so, she retreats further into disengagement as she waits out the completion of her elective year of choir. From the perspective of case study, the subject of the case is Irina as the central participant as well as the displaced and mismatched contexts for musical experience in the choral classroom and in her current and remembered Russian realms.

In the introduction of the study and through the thematic discussion, Carlow interweaves data with a theoretical framework that draws from research on musical identity, multicultural perspectives, English Language Learners, and social justice. The narrative portrayal of Irina is therefore explained in part by relevant literature at the same time it is problematized and left open. The researcher calls to attention the complex tasks teachers face in discerning students’ musical backgrounds and mediating the culture shock of ELL students in particular. In broader fashion, she critiques the tiered hierarchy of ensembles in secondary schools, and the programmatic decisions about repertoire that can distance students as well as draw them closer to the music they perform. This case study, through its particularized account of Irina’s experience in her high school choir, informs curriculum and instruction for immigrant students like Irina.

7.5.2   Spirituality as a Universal Experience of Music: A Case Study of North Americans’ Approaches to Japanese Music ( Matsunobu 2011 )

Ethnomusicologists and music educators are in broad agreement that what makes each cultural expression of music unique are differences, not commonalities, and that these should be understood in culturally sensitive ways. Relevant to the debate was the emphasis on the socio-cultural context of music making over the traditional “sound-only” approach. In this study, North American practitioners of shakuhachi music provided a different angle on the view of music as culture-specific. What made these practitioners interested in shakuhachi playing were not so much cultural aspects of Japanese music as universal aspects of human experience identified in Japanese music, such as the feeling of being part of nature and the revitalization of humans’ organic sensitivities. For them, the cultural served as a hindrance to accessing the underlying spirituality of Japanese music. From their perspective, the opposite of the sound-only approach was not necessarily posited as a sociocultural approach but as a spiritual or physical approach that transcended cultural boundaries. (273)

The symbiotic nature of musical experience with cultural context is an ongoing source of inquiry for music educators, ethnomusicologists, and other social science researchers. Matsunobu’s case study of three North American non-native players who immersed themselves in studying classical ( honkyoku ) repertoire via the idiosyncratic nature of a particular type of shakuhachi , the ji-nashi , probes the deep realms of musical experience for the performer. In this case study, drawn from a larger ethnographic investigation of twelve practitioners over a two-year period, Matsunobu examines how cultural context influences musical experience, and from fine-grained accounts gleaned from observations and interviews, how cultural context may also hinder understanding. The heart of this study is the phenomenological experience of music as a cultural universal. The subject of the case is compelling in that the three participants selected for the study are examined in context, but this context is unusual. Counter to expectations that context should mean cultural context, these non-native players engaged in learning honkyoku in both North American and Japanese settings, including workshops, tours, classes, individual practice, etc. Thus the boundedness of the case encompasses the experiences of the music for the three individuals regardless of physical setting or specific musical traditions. The overlap of the case’s subject with the object is also notable in that the theoretical framework was informed by five dimensions of spiritual awareness the researcher drew from another source, but as the study progressed, the theoretical frame shifted as the analysis oriented toward transcultural meanings of the experience for the players. The fluid alignment of subject and object in this study is illuminated through Matsunobu’s description that the players underwent “depth without detour” (279), that is, musical grounding—the rooted experience of sound through sound—without the mediation or interference of cultural knowledge. Matsunobu relates the musical pursuits of the shakuhachi players to the quest for spirituality as a “universal longing and a quest for meaning in life” (284).

The presentation of this case is dependent upon the researcher’s fidelity to the phenomenological aspects of musical engagement encountered by the participants. In organizing themes to illustrate the central phenomenon—culture as a hindrance to spirituality—Matsunobu moves fluidly back and forth from discussing honkyoku practices, conveying the universality of simplicity, and articulating the ways that energy moves through the instrument, players’ breath, and earth, interwoven with interview excerpts from Liam, Andrew, and Pamela, the three players. Without the benefit of actual sound (which would convey ineffable qualities that text cannot), the researcher expresses the subtleties and textures that carry the significance of this transcultural musical pursuit. The purposeful import of the case comes from Matsunobu’s invitation for researchers to investigate how the drive to study this form of music stems from the players’ “willingness to explore the shared realm of human music experience, namely spirituality, rather than culture-specific dimensions of music” (284). In light of the industriousness with which music education researchers are investigating culturally specific dimensions of music learning and teaching, Matsunobu’s study widens the aperture of inquiry. The implications for teaching and learning are similarly promising as he questions the pedagogical assumptions that attend (and possibly compromise) the impact of the musical experience for students.

7.5.3   Turning into Teachers: Influences of Authentic Context Learning Experiences   on Occupational Identity Development of Preservice Music Teachers ( Haston and Russell 2012 )

The purpose of this study was to examine the occupational identity development of undergraduate music education majors as they participated in a yearlong authentic context learning (ACL) experience situated within a professional development school (PDS). Five undergraduate music education majors enrolled in either a string pedagogy class or an instrumental methods class were required to teach in the band or string projects at the PDS. The authors utilized a multiple case study method and collected data from interviews, observations, and participant written reflections. The transformation of data included transcribing interviews and indexing student reflections. The authors identified four emergent themes: the development of general pedagogical knowledge, knowledge of self, performer/teacher symbiotic outcomes, and professional perspectives. The impact of the perceived positive or negative ACL experiences as well as interactions with peers was mediated by either adaptive or maladaptive participant responses to ACL experiences. Participants’ descriptions fit the framework of an extended apprenticeship of what the authors labeled a critical apprenticeship of observation. Based on these findings, they developed a conceptual diagram in order to describe the impact of the ACL experiences on teacher occupational identity development. (369)

Haston and Russell’s case study contributes to a growing body of research on music teacher identity development. Their study rests on a conceptual foundation built first upon primary socialization, the development of robust and persistent images of music teaching formed through the “apprenticeship of observation” during primary and secondary school experience, and the catalytic power of preservice teacher education (secondary socialization) to excavate and transform these images into deeper understandings of what teachers actually do, how they think, how teaching feels, and what animates their work. In this instance, the conceptual framework derived from the literature is substantial, which allowed the researchers to situate the study in a particular view of this socialization process related to occupational identity: “the process by which a person learns to adopt, develop, and display the actions and role behaviors typical of and unique to a particular profession” (Merton, as cited in Isbell 2006 , 30). The researchers describe the bounded system as the “ACL experiences (band and string projects) that were bound together in place (the same magnet school) and bounded in time (the same academic year; 373). Within the system, the participation of five undergraduate music education majors in teaching within the professional development school setting was the focus, and perhaps given the nature of the socialization process, one might say further entanglement of person and context occurred as they reflected on the contemporary experiences against the background of the undergraduates’ primary socialization as well.

A noteworthy aspect of this case study was the fluidity with which the object of the study was used and transformed. Haston and Russell used the conceptual framework derived from their literature review deductively as they coded interview transcripts. In a subsequent inductive analysis of individual data, the emergent themes (general pedagogical knowledge, knowledge of self, symbiotic outcomes, and professional perspectives) were then incorporated into a conceptual diagram that included findings and insights from the case with a priori findings from the literature, which they titled “conceptualized macro/micro diagram of student occupational identity development loop” (20). The representation of the study’s findings in this diagram conveys both complexity and clarity. Identity development is delineated into constituent aspects, arranged to show relationships, and offers concrete pathways for further research or pedagogical development in music teacher education. The components of case presentation and purpose are more closely linked in this revised, dynamic theoretical framework.

7.5.4   Capitalizing on Community Music: A Case Study of the   Manifestation of Social Capital in a Community Choir ( Langston and Barrett 2008 )

There is an extensive literature on social capital and its generation and use in communities, but less is known about the ways in which social capital is manifested in community music settings. The literature suggests that social capital is evidenced through a range of “indicators,” including trust, community and civic involvement, and networks. This article reports the findings of a research project that examined the manifestation of social capital in a community choir in regional Tasmania. The study employed multiple data-generation methods including survey, field notes, and artifact-elicited, semi-structured interviews in a qualitative interpretive case study design. An analysis of narrative approach was used to interrogate data generated with the 27 members (the Tutti) of the “Milton” Community Choir, and to identify those social capital indicators present. Through analyses of these data, findings suggest that the social capital indicators identified in the literature, specifically those of shared norms and values, trust, civic and community involvement, networks, knowledge resources, and contact with families and friends are present in the community choir. Further a previously unemphasized social capital indicator, that of fellowship , is identified as a key component in fostering group cohesion and social capital development in the community choir. (2008, 118)

Langston and Barrett (2008) reviewed theories of social capital in their qualitative interpretive case study of the “Milton” Community Choir. The first researcher—Langston—held a twenty-year history with the group as its conductor, and thus Thomas might identity the selection of choir members as a “local knowledge case” ( 2011b , 514), in which the researcher’s familiarity with the group opens up avenues of intimate and informed analysis based on long-term relationships and shared history. The researchers provide a strong theoretical framework to outline three forms of social capital (bonding, bridging, and linking, 119) before addressing eight indicators of social capital, constituting the initial conceptual structure (participant, interaction, and civic involvement; networks and connections; families and friends; reciprocity and obligations; trust; norms and values; learning; and membership of faith-based organizations, 120). Verification strategies included prolonged engagement, triangulation of participant data, and member checking, along with consideration of researcher reflexivity prompted by critical analysis and interactions between the two researchers. The subject of the case is the choir and the twenty-seven singers within, who are bounded by their joint history and membership. The object of the case is the manifestation of these indicators of social capital in the general service of documenting community.

This case study is particularly strong in its articulation of the factors of social capital evidenced in the accounts of the choir members. The data lead to the expansion of the theoretical framework with the inclusion of an additional indicator, fellowship. Discussion of each indicator balances insights from the literature, excerpts from interviews, and interpretive insights. Langston and Barrett’s work, with its clear explication of the theoretical frame that guided the study, and the revised frame or object that crystallizes through analysis and interpretation, also leads directly to larger purposes. The researchers imply that the results of the study could be extended to choirs with a similar mission and history, and, as well, could be pointed toward the use of the theoretical framework to guide public policy on the impact of aging on citizens’ lives. In addition, the revised structure points to additional research on the impact of musical experience in adult community groups.

7.6 Promising Avenues for Case Study in Music Education

In the four studies selected as examples, key distinctions emerge, although each treats the subject, object, purpose, and presentation of the case with care. Two of the studies, Carlow and Matsunobu, provide a rich description of individual or musical experience with sufficient vividness that readers can gauge the extendability and correspondence of the case to other situations and instances. These two studies, due to their emphasis on particularization of the subject of the case, open up case-to-case transfer. The other two studies, Haston and Russell and Langston and Barrett, forward the object of the case in salient ways. Here, the theoretical propositions and their interrelationships—the complexity of the object—are more prominent than detailed narrative portrayals. The extended purposes of these studies lend themselves, because of their propositional clarity, to guiding practice, policy, and further research by building on the theoretical structure the researchers have articulated.

For all of the reasons outlined at the beginning of this chapter, case study research has a firm foothold in music education. Yet for its prevalence, the uneven quality of case study reports calls attention to the need for more rigor in design and analysis, attention to the analytic path used to draw inferences from the data, and especially the more sophisticated interplay between cases and theoretical frameworks. Additional avenues for development include articulating typologies for categorizing various kinds of case studies and their utility; addressing how lines of inquiry can be developed through a series of case studies; and examining how case studies can be used in complementary ways with other research designs and strategies.

Case studies in music education are well suited to examine central questions of music teaching and learning. Researchers must know why a case study is a good fit; here, I come back to Thomas’s statement: “What the case study is especially good for is getting a rich picture and gaining analytical insights from it” ( 2011a , 23). Case studies allow researchers to branch out in exploratory ways to map areas of inquiry that are underdeveloped or unexamined. They also allow the field to fill in more robust and integrated knowledge about areas of inquiry that need further explication and explanation, such as those aspects of music teaching and learning that are especially complex and intertwined. Paying attention to the dynamic tensions between subject and object, and the ways that these dynamic tensions are brought to light through compelling presentations of the case will make case study research more powerful and informative within the field. 2

Barrett, Janet R.   2007 . “ The Researcher as Instrument: Learning to Conduct Qualitative Research through Analyzing and Interpreting a Choral Rehearsal. ” Music Education Research 9 (3): 417–33.

Google Scholar

Barrett, Margaret S. , and Janet Mills . 2009 . “ The Inter-Reflexive Possibilities of Dual Observations: An Account from and through Experience. ” International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 22 (4): 417–29.

Campbell, Donald T.   1975 . “‘ Degrees of Freedom’ and the Case Study. ” Comparative Political Studies 8 (2): 178–93.

Carlow, Regina.   2006 . “ Diva Irina: An English Language Learner in High School Choir. ” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education 170:63–77.

Creswell, John W.   2007 . Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Traditions . 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Google Preview

Flyvbjerg, Bent.   2011 . “Case Study.” In The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research , edited by Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln , 301–16. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Haston, Warren , and Joshua A. Russell . 2012 . “ Turning into Teachers: Influences of Authentic Context Learning Experiences on Occupational Identity Development of Preservice Music Teachers. ” Journal of Research in Music Education 59:1–24.

Isbell, Daniel S. 2006. “Socialization and Occupational Identity among Preservice Music Teachers Enrolled in Traditional Baccalaureate Degree Programs.” PhD diss., University of Colorado at Boulder. ProQuest (UMI No. 3239420).

Kantorski, Vincent J. , and Sandra Frey Stegman . 2006 . “ A Content Analysis of Qualitative Research Dissertations in Music Education, 1998–2002. ” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education 168: 63–73.

Lane, Jeremy.   2011 . “ A Descriptive Analysis of Qualitative Research Published in Two Eminent Music Education Research Journals. ” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education 188: 65–76.

Langston, Thomas W. , and Margaret S. Barrett . 2008 . “ Capitalizing on Community Music: A Case Study of the Manifestation of Social Capital in a Community Choir. ” Research Studies in Music Education 30 (2): 118–38.

Matsunobu, Koji.   2011 . “ Spirituality as a Universal Experience of Music: A Case Study of North Americans’ Approaches to Japanese Music. ” Journal of Research in Music Education 59 (3): 273–89.

Merriam, Sharan B.   1998 . Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. , and Nancy L. Leech . 2010 . “ Generalization Practices in Qualitative Research: A Mixed Methods Case Study. ” Quality & Quantity 44 (5): 881–92.

Peshkin, Alan.   1993 . “ The Goodness of Qualitative Research. ” Educational Researcher 22 (2): 23–29.

Ragin, Charles C.   1992 . “‘Casing’ and the Process of Social Inquiry.” In What Is a Case? Exploring the Foundations of Social Inquiry , edited by Charles C. Ragin and Howard S. Becker , 217–26. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Simons, Helen.   2009 . Case Study Research in Practice . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Stake, Robert E.   1988 . “Case Study Methods in Educational Research: Seeking Sweet Water.” In Complementary Methods for Research in Education , edited by Richard M. Jaeger , 253–78. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.

Stake, Robert E.   The Art of Case Study Research . 1995 . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Stake, Robert E. “Qualitative Case Studies.” 2005 . In The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research , edited by Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln , 443–66. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Thomas, Gary.   2011 a. How to Do Your Case Study: A Guide for Students and Researchers . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Thomas, Gary.   2011 b. “ A Typology for the Case Study in Social Science Following a Review of Definition, Discourse, and Structure. ” Qualitative Inquiry 17 (6): 511–21.

Tracy, Sarah J.   2010 . “ Qualitative Quality: Eight ‘Big Tent’ Criteria for Excellent Qualitative Research. ” Qualitative Inquiry 16 (10): 837–51.

VanWynsberghe, Rob , and Samia Khan.   2007 . “ Redefining Case Study. ” International Journal of Qualitative Methods 6 (2): 80–94.

Yin, Robert K.   2012 . Applications of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Yin, Robert K.   2009 . Case Study Research: Design and Methods . 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Terms used by the German philosopher Wilhelm Windelband, as cited in Thomas 2011a .

I wish to thank Julie Bannerman for her invaluable assistance in preparing this chapter.

• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Institutional account management
• Rights and permissions
• Get help with access
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

• Browse by Subjects
• New Releases
• Coming Soon
• Chases's Calendar
• Browse by Course
• Instructor's Copies
• Monographs & Research
• Intelligence & Security
• Library Services
• Business & Leadership
• Museum Studies
• Pastoral Resources
• Psychotherapy

Alternative Approaches in Music Education

Case studies from the field, edited by ann c. clements - contributions by frank abrahams; joseph abramo; carlos abril; sarah bartolome; nancy beitler; ruth boshkoff; brenda brenner; lily chen-hafteck; don coffman; mary l. cohen; megan clay constantine; robert gardner; brent m. gault; beth gibbs; elizabeth m. guerriero; jonathand harnum; matthew hoy; sheri jaffurs; victor lin; lisa m. meyer; douglas c. orzolek; catherine odom prowse; joshua s. renick; barbara j. resch; alison m. reynolds ph.d; christopher roberts; janet robbins; mark ross; cecilia roudabush; katherine strand; daniel sumner; linda thornton; terese volk tuohey; sarah h. watts and bettyanne younker, also available.

• ABOUT NEW DIRECTIONS
• EDITORIAL BOARD
• Kruse, Who Counts
• Barrett, Forecasting the Future of Professional Associations in Music Education
• Bauer, Music Learning and Technology
• Woody, Of Crossovers and Role Blending: How Professional Growth Has Shaped My Personal Life… and Vice Versa
• Conway, Pellegrino & West, Case Study Research in Music Education
• Edwards, An Alternative Approach To Creativity and Music Literacy With Real Time Iconic Graphic Notation
• Rawlings, The Use of Questionnaires in the Journal of Research in Music Education: 2003-2013
• Johnston, One Teacher’s Experience of Voice Disorder and Its Implication for Music Educators
• Conway, Perspectives from Faculty Teaching in Graduate Programs in Music Education
• Bernhard, Contemplative Practices in Music Education
• Baumgartner
• Baumgartner et al
• Rawlings et al
• Schultz, Enriching
• Schultz, Nomadic

Case Study Research in Music Education

Ableton Live

A school uses the concept of a mini residential to provide selected students with an opportunity for an in-depth exploration of making music with a midi controller connected to Ableton Live.

• partnership
• after school

Read more ...

Animate Orchestra

A partnership between Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Music Education Hubs in Lambeth, Lewisham, Royal Greenwich and Southwark.

• instruments
• music education hub
• improvisation

Artist Bootcamp

Artist Bootcamp provides young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with 18 hours of music training from some of the UK's top musicians in order to help boost their skills, aspiration and confidence. The three-day workshop combines group work with opportunities to have one-to-one sessions with tutors.

Arts at the Core

Effective music practice and inclusion of the arts across school and out of school

Bacchus and Ariadne

• multi-modal

CME Northampton

A tailored route for achieving CME for non QTS musicians working in schools.

• early years

Connect: Resound

Bringing music making to students in remote rural areas.

Aimed at exploring new approaches in music with under 5s in deprived areas of Norfolk.

• musical play
• peer-to-peer

ELAM (East London Arts and Music)

UK’s leading popular music college, East London Arts and Music, paves new, innovative ways forward with implementation and use of EarMaster software

• project-based learning

Frequency is a music technology project designed by headteachers and soundLINCS (http://www.soundlincs.org) to narrow the attainment gap for targeted children and especially those entitled to Pupil Premium funds.

• pupil premium

GOBSMACKED is a long term programme created within the Lancashire Music Hub aiming to create access to open-hearted vocalisation for PMLD students and to develop appropriate progression routes.

Hothouse Youth Programme

A music centre in a disadvantaged seaside community where a variety of music programmes link together and create access to musicmaking and progression into performance, further education and qualification.

• youth leadership

Using mobile technology for Key Stage 3 music assessment

Jane Parker & Soundwaves Extra

Take Art's Early Years Music Practitioner delivering 'Soundwaves Extra' The Early Years Music Network for the South West at St Peter's C of E Primary School F/S Unit, Budleigh Salterton, Devon.

Loud and Clear – Early Years

Early years music making supporting looked after children (0-5 years), foster carers and adoptive parents and children based in Newcastle Gateshead.

• looked after children
• foster carers
• adoptive families
• social pedagogy

Magic Adventure

A Luminous, Musical, Interactive Spectacular for Babies and Toddlers.

A creative music making project delivered in partnership between Rhythmix and East Sussex Targeted Youth Support.

Masterclass Fridays

Working with a visiting musician over an extended period on a contemporary music making project.

Minute of Listening

Minute of Listening is a digital resource created by Sound and Music. It aims to create a world where every primary school child is inspired and enabled to listen creatively every day.

Music: Communication beyond words

Across school Sounds of Intent curriculum and policy.

Musical Futures

How five secondary teachers transformed their music departments using Musical Futures as a catalyst for change.

Musicians in education (University of Greenwich and Trinity Laban)

An Initial Teacher Training programme delivered by University of Greenwich, in partnership with Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Musique Concrete

The focus for the project is creative technology-supported composition work with school Year 7s (lower Secondary school) that encourages group work, independence, creativity, use of resources and evaluation.

Norfolk Peripatetic Music Teacher

This case study shows how the work of a peripatetic music teacher can support class teacher skills development as well as pupil learning.

Online Orchestra

Falmouth-based project that enables groups of musicians in different locations to perform together live, in real time, online, thereby creating new opportunities for ensemble performance, particularly for those living in remote locations.

A creative music activity from Berkshire Maestros for under-fives with opportunities for engaging parents and carers.

Training practitioners and working with families to support children’s early learning.

Rhyl Primary School

A musical community where pupils are encouraged to follow and develop their creative energies

• senior leadership team

Roma Singing

Roma and non-Roma singing ensemble work, learning Roma repertoire. Using youtube for home learning.

A long term relationship between a SEND school and a local community music organisation.

Scratch Orchestra (Wembury Primary)

Key Stage 2 Instrumental pupils, of all abilities, and their instrumental tutors play together to develop an ensemble piece from scratch, away from the 'dots'. They improvise, devise and rehearse an arrangement and then give an informal performance to parents and other classes.

Seven Seeds

Seven Seeds was a large-scale musical project run by the Tri-borough Music Hub along with strategic partners the Aurora Orchestra, the Royal College of Music and the Royal Albert Hall.

• cross-curriculum

Singing Through the School

This case presents how a music teacher has developed singing in her primary school.

The purpose of this unit of work was exploration – to find out if new ways of working with technology in a music classroom setting might have meaningful musical benefits and outcomes.

Sound Connections – London Early Years Music Network (LEYMN)

A self-serving network for experienced music leaders working with very young children.

Soundbeam in the Classroom

Using accessible technology in classroom curriculum music making.

Starting from the Music (Wembury Primary School)

A unit of work with a Year 4 class - part of the scheme of work for KS2 - devised and delivered by the school music coordinator. An existing piece of classical music 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' is used as the starting point for exploring musical elements through a variety of activities.

A community music band project.

Teaching Musician

A postgraduate certificate / diploma programme for experienced music educators and leaders run by Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, a specialist Higher Education Institute training professional musicians and dancers.

What does Sound Look Like?

A large scale project between music and science in KS3 exploring what music looks like.

Yewlands Seascapes

A school uses music technology in the classroom to provide composition interludes for a large scale performance.

Youth Voices

Pupils talking about their musical activities.

Popular Tags

Inspire-music twitter feed.

• About inspire-music
• @inspiremusicorg

2021–2022 inspire-music.org

• Arts & Photography

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Case Studies in Music Education Hardcover – July 1, 2005

• Print length 186 pages
• Language English
• Publisher G I A Pubns
• Publication date July 1, 2005
• Dimensions 5.75 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
• ISBN-10 1579995918
• ISBN-13 978-1579995911
• See all details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ G I A Pubns; Revised edition (July 1, 2005)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 186 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1579995918
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1579995911
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
• #6,724 in Music Instruction & Study (Books)

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

• Learn to fundraise for Save The Music
• Start a Fundraiser on Facebook
• Start a Fundraiser on Classy
• Pledge your birthday

Home › Blog › Advocacy › Newark Case Study

January 12, 2021

Newark Case Study

By Lia Peralta

As one of the top nonprofit music education organizations, we bring together a group of music and community members and other music nonprofit organizations to invest in schools and teachers upgrading their skills and capabilities. An example of this is in the city of Newark, NJ where we are entering the fifth year of a five-year project. Together with the school district, the mayor’s office, a group of local art and music non-profits, several Newark-focused foundations, Queen Latifah and Wyclef Jean, we’ll have invested in 45+ schools and 98% of Newark students will have access to music education.

To view the full PDF, click here .

Special Thank You:

Mr. Roger León, Newark Board of Education Ms. Margaret El, Director, Visual & Performing Arts, NBOE Newark Arts Arts Ed Newark

Generous Support Provided By:

Additonal Funders:

ACM Lifting Lives Amazon Music Central Bucks School District Henry S. and Agnes M. Truzack Foundation NJM Insurance Group Railroad Earth Reverb Gives The Dubose and Dorothy Heyward Memorial Fund Toys R Us Children’s Fund

Advocacy , Advocacy tools , Blog , Featured , Partnership Tools , Partnerships , Research

HR Daily Advisor

Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.

HR Management & Compliance

Case study: guidance for employers on music in the workplace.

Updated: May 9, 2024

Audio Offense

The one with the hostile work environment complaint, two different work environments, bottom line, leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Skip to Content
• Bulletin Home

2023-24 General Bulletin

Music Education, PhD

Degree:  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Field of Study:  Music Education

Program Overview

The PhD in Music Education is for individuals who wish to teach at the college level or obtain positions of leadership in school music programs (P-12).  A core of studies centered on philosophy and research is supplemented by coursework in music and related fields. The program focuses on encouraging each doctoral student to develop to their fullest capacity through individual research projects, independent studies with music education faculty members, presentations at professional conferences, and publications in music education research journals. Every effort is made to plan a program based around the needs and interests of students while maintaining standards of musical and scholarly excellence.

The PhD program in Music Education prepares students for music leadership positions at a time when music teaching and learning—both in and out of the schools—is experiencing great change. Graduates of the music education doctoral program consistently secure faculty positions in college and university music programs, community music schools, and K-12 settings.

Addition program information is available on the  Department of Music Music Education webpage .

Applicants with good academic records from fully accredited universities and colleges will be considered for admission to graduate study at Case Western Reserve University. Admission must be recommended by the department or professional school of the university in which the applicant proposes to study and must be approved by the dean of graduate studies. 

Applicants for the PhD in Music Education must have (a) at least a 3.0 GPA from a completed graduate degree program in music education, (b) a minimum of 3 years of successful school music teaching experience in group settings, and (c) evidence of strong written and spoken English skills. After initial review, applicants may be invited to campus for an interview and teaching demonstration. There are no vocal or instrumental auditions associated with the PhD admission process.

More information about the graduate application and audition process in music is provided on the  Department of Music Graduate Application Procedures webpage .

Handbook and Advising

Current graduate and professional students in music should review departmental policies and procedures in the  Graduate Music Handbook . The handbook provides additional information regarding graduate assistantships, general expectations and responsibilities, program outcomes, decision points, performances, scholarly activity, outside work, prizes/awards, deadlines, petitions, examinations, advancement to candidacy, and student record-keeping.

Additional resources and forms are available on the  Department of Music Resources for Current Graduate Students webpage .

Graduate Policies

For graduate policies and procedures, please review the School of Graduate Studies section of the General Bulletin .

Program Requirements

The PhD in Music Education is formulated to suit the needs of individual students with consent from their faculty advisor.  A minimum of 60 hours of coursework is required, including the Graduate Music Education Core (15 hours of research-based coursework in music education); the Graduate Music Core (9-12 hours of music theory, musicology, applied lessons, or ensemble performance); the Outside Cognate Area (6 hours of related coursework in psychology, sociology, behavioral management, or another outside disciple that interest students); Music Education Electives (9-12 hours of MUED courses, seminars, or independent studies); and the Dissertation (18 hours). 

Qualifying Examinations and Advancement to Candidacy 

PhD students in the Music Education program meet with their academic advisor each semester to select the most appropriate trajectory for advancing through the program. Students are required to spend at least one year in full-time residency at Case Western Reserve University, maintaining 9 credit units of enrollment for two consecutive semesters. To remain in the program, students must meet GPA and professional standards each year.

Students have up to 4 years from their first semester of enrollment to finish their required coursework, and one additional semester to complete their qualifying exams and achieve candidacy. Candidacy is granted when students pass their qualifying examinations. Once candidacy is granted, students may enroll in MUED 701 and begin work on a dissertation proposal. 

The qualifying exam process includes two portions: a take-home portion and an in-house portion, which must be defended together and successfully no later than Week 10 of the final semester of coursework. 

The  Graduate Music Handbook  outlines in detail the procedures and timeline for coursework, qualifying exams, dissertation completion and graduation.

Requirements

Course in music theory, music history and/or applied music suited to the student's interests and needs. Must be approved by the music education faculty.

Courses in a related field outside of music education suited to the student's interests and needs. Must be approved by the music education faculty.

Music education courses, seminars, and independent studies suited to the student's interests and needs. Must be approved by the music education faculty.

Successful completion of the written and oral qualifying exams. This must be completed before work on the dissertation can commence.

Successful oral defense of the dissertation.

Sample Plan of Study

If students intend to complete the degree in three years, they must adhere to the following timeline: 

Print Options

Print this page.

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Serving technical professionals globally for over 75 years. Learn more about us.

MIT Professional Education 700 Technology Square Building NE48-200 Cambridge, MA 02139 USA

Accessibility

Real Estate Finance: Fundamentals - Live Virtual

Walter Torous

Want to get ahead in real estate finance? Get back to the basics with MIT. In this critically important two-day course, you’ll join accomplished global peers to enhance your foundational knowledge of the crucial factors shaping real estate finance today. Through real-world case studies, you’ll explore the financial infrastructures that underpin real estate development and improve your ability to make smart decisions related to financial feasibility.

THIS COURSE MAY BE TAKEN INDIVIDUALLY OR AS PART OF THE  PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN REAL ESTATE FINANCE & DEVELOPMENT .

The Real Estate Finance: Fundamentals course is a “finance boot camp” for real estate developers, investors, lenders, lawyers, and other real estate professionals who need to analyze the financial feasibility of real estate development ventures.

Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how investment returns are calculated and how income-producing assets are valued. Designed for those without a financial background, this course integrates finance theory and taxation principles with conventional real estate practice.

This course has been approved for 16 CPD credits toward the renewal of the  CoreNet Global  MCR designation.

Certificate of Completion from MIT Professional Education

• Understand the financial infrastructure underpinning real estate development
• Learn how financial drivers such as capital structure, investment returns, and taxes motivate stakeholders
• Understand the combination of factors that determine financial feasibility

Program Outline

The course runs 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Sunday-Monday. Please note all times are US Eastern Daylight Time. The schedule is subject to change.

DAY ONE Morning:  9:00am - 12:00pm EST

This three-hour session will introduce you to the basics of valuation in financial markets with a special emphasis on real estate investments.  Topics covered will include: •    Understanding present value •    Opportunity cost of capital •    Multiples and cap rates  After a fifteen-minute break, the materials will be supplemented by a case study emphasizing the various topics introduced earlier in the session. Student teams will be expected to discuss and prepare the case materials culminating in a case presentation.

Noon –1:00 pm:  Lunch Break

Afternoon: 1:00 pm - 5:00pm EST

This session will continue our discussion of real estate finance building on the concepts introduced earlier in the day. Topics covered will include: •    Nominal versus real rates of interest •    Internal rate of return (IRR) •    Risk-return tradeoffs in real estate investments •    Pro Forma Analysis: Develop Property Pro Formas, Introduce Debt Financing, and Understand Potential Abuses of Pro Formas  

Morning:  9:00am - 12:00pm EST

This session will begin with a case study designed to emphasize the basics of real estate finance introduced the previous day. As before, student teams will be expected to discuss and prepare the case materials culminating in a case presentation. After a fifteen-minute break, we will discuss: •    Measuring real estate investment performance •    Sensitivity analysis •    Investment performance attribution  

This session will introduce you to the role of real estate in a portfolio context. Topics covered will include: •    Measuring risk in financial markets •    Understanding diversifiable versus non-diversifiable risk •    Real estate in a portfolio context

This course is applicable to a wide range of professionals across the real estate, banking, finance/investment, and insurance industries. Specifically, the course may be of interest to fund managers, investment portfolio managers, financial advisors, investment bankers, fixed-income analysts, financial risk managers, global financial market specialists, and professionals working in macroeconomic policy. More generally, this class can be valuable to anyone dealing with global financial markets and real estate investments.

Requirements

Laptops or tablets are required to access course materials. All materials will be distributed electronically.

Testimonials

The type of content you will learn in this course, whether it's a foundational understanding of the subject, the hottest trends and developments in the field, or suggested practical applications for industry.

How the course is taught, from traditional classroom lectures and riveting discussions to group projects to engaging and interactive simulations and exercises with your peers.

What level of expertise and familiarity the material in this course assumes you have. The greater the amount of introductory material taught in the course, the less you will need to be familiar with when you attend.

Blog The Education Hub

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/04/29/when-is-results-day-2024-gcses-a-levels-t-levels-and-vtqs/

When is results day 2024? GCSEs, A levels, T Levels and VTQs

In August, pupils in England will find out their results for GCSEs, A levels, T Levels and VTQ (vocational technical qualifications) exams.  

Ahead of results day, schools, colleges and assessment centres should contact pupils directly to tell them how and when to collect them. They’ll also be able to answer any questions you have ahead of the day.  

Here’s what you need to know about exam results this year.

When is GCSE and Level 1/2 VTQ results day 2024?  

GCSE  results day is on Thursday 22 August.  

Results for Level 1, Level 1/2 and Level 2  VTQs  will also be available on or before this date.  

Normally, pupils will be able to go to their school or college and collect their results in person where they can get advice from their teachers.  

Alternatively, schools will send results to pupils in the post or by email.  

When is A level, T Level and Level 3 VTQs results days 2024?  

AS level, A level and  T Level  results day is on Thursday 15 August.  

Results for VTQs at Level 3 taken alongside or instead of A levels, such as BTECs, will be released to pupils on or before Thursday 15 August.  

Results can be emailed or sent in the post, but it’s a good idea to go into school or college to receive your results so you can get support from teachers and career advisers to discuss your options, especially if your results might affect your plans for September.  

If you’re applying to university via UCAS, you can track your  application online .  

How have exams been graded since the pandemic?  

Between 2019 and 2022, we saw a significant increase in the number of entries receiving top grades, due to disruption caused by the pandemic.  

Last year saw a return to pre-pandemic grading arrangements, and overall national results were similar to those of 2019. Ofqual have confirmed that they are continuing with normal grading this year.  

This is key to making sure exam qualifications are trusted – it means that universities and employers understand the performance of candidates, have confidence in their qualifications, and can use them to help them progress into the right opportunities.   

What should I do if I’m disappointed with my results?  

Your school or college and your teachers will support you if don’t get the results you hoped for or if your plans change based on the results you get.  

Remember, there are many different exciting options to take after school and college.  

If don’t get the GCSE results you were expecting, you can find out more about your options here .  

And if you’re worried about not getting the results you need for your university course, you can find out more about your options here .  

If you need help or advice around your exam results or next steps, you can call  the National Careers Service  helpline to chat to a careers adviser on 0800 100 900.  

If you’re feeling stressed or anxious about exams and you’re aged 18 or younger, you can also call Childline for free on 0800 1111 or  chat online  to get support.  

Ofqual has also created this practical guide for students on coping with exam pressure which offers advice and support on coping with exam anxiety and stress.

You may also be interested in:

• GCSE results day: What to do if you didn’t get the grades you were expecting
• A Level and T Level results day: What to do if you don’t get the grades you need for your university course
• Exam results: 5 tips for parents and carers on supporting your child with results day

Tags: A level results , A Level results day , A levels , GCSE results , GCSE results day , gcses , results day , T Level results day , VTQs , when is results day

Sharing and comments

Share this page, related content and links, about the education hub.

The Education Hub is a site for parents, pupils, education professionals and the media that captures all you need to know about the education system. You’ll find accessible, straightforward information on popular topics, Q&As, interviews, case studies, and more.

Please note that for media enquiries, journalists should call our central Newsdesk on 020 7783 8300. This media-only line operates from Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm. Outside of these hours the number will divert to the duty media officer.

Members of the public should call our general enquiries line on 0370 000 2288.

Sign up and manage updates

Follow us on social media, search by date, comments and moderation policy.