Change Laboratory

Students with intellectual disabilities in adapted schools are often taught by unqualified teachers. This project develops and tests a model for knowledge-based music education, serving as a foundation for teacher training. It builds on activity theory and the Change Laboratory methodology.

Project Aim and Research Questions

Many students with intellectual disabilities in adapted compulsory schools are taught by teachers without formal qualifications. This research project, led by Diana Berthén, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Special Education, Stockholm University (SU), aims to develop, test, and evaluate a model for music education that enhances students' knowledge. The project is a collaboration between Stockholm University and the Royal College of Music (KMH), with co-researchers Anna Backman Bister, Senior Lecturer at KMH, and Viveca Lindberg, Professor at the Department of Special Education, SU. Funded by the National R&D Network for Schools Facing Major Challenges, the project runs from 2024 to 2025 and is based on activity theory and the Change Laboratory approach.

The project explores the following research questions:

• What do teachers consider to be desirable musical knowledge for students in adapted compulsory schools, and what are the indicators that students have increased their knowledge?
• How do teachers define cultural citizenship, and how can music education in adapted compulsory schools contribute to it?
• What principles should guide the knowledge product and its implementation in teaching to enhance students' musical competence and support their long-term development toward cultural citizenship?

Method

The project begins with a joint analysis of the systemic roots of music education in adapted compulsory schools, aiming to transform current teaching practices by redefining the purpose and principles of instruction. These systemic roots refer to past curricular guidelines for music education, both within adapted compulsory schools and general compulsory education. These guidelines have significantly influenced how music teachers perceive the objectives of music education today.

Expected Outcomes

The project aims to improve music education in adapted compulsory schools through systematic collaboration within the framework of the Change Laboratory—practice-oriented, collaborative research between researchers and music teachers. The expected outcome is a model that can be tested on a broader scale and disseminated further.

This model will exemplify the new knowledge that music teachers contribute to developing. In turn, it can help strengthen music education within adapted compulsory schools.