This volume examines pluralism in light of recent music education research history and pluralistic approaches in practice. Pluralistic research holds the potential to blend frameworks, foundations, methods, and analysis protocols, and leads to a sophisticated understanding of music teaching and learning. This blending could take place in a range of contexts that may span an individual study to a lifelong research agenda. Additionally, pluralistic ideals would guide the addressing of questions as a community. The volume also illuminates the work of innovative music education researchers who are constructing pluralistic research studies and agendas, and advocate for the music education profession to embrace such an approach in order to advance shared research goals. The ramifications of this transformation in music education research are a subject of discussion, including the implications for researcher education and the challenges inherent in conducting and disseminating such research.

The first in-depth discussion of methodological pluralism within music education and its inherent possibilities An interrogation of research practices that is music education-specific Narratives by music education researchers who are implementing this contemporary approach to research

Inhalt
Introduction: Diana Dansereau and Jay Dorfman.- Part 1.- An overview of the paradigm conflict that has marked education research and influenced music education research - Chad West.- An examination of the influences of governing paradigms on music education research - David Myers.- The value in conducting research that is driven by answering a question that stems from the identification of a meaningful problem in music education - Lee Higgins.- The value in conducting research that is driven by advancing a theory - Roger Mantie.- Mixed methods research (in education and music education) as a response to the paradigm conflict - Diana Dansereau.- A call for blending methods for improved understanding as a profession - Jay Dorfman and Diana Dansereau.- Part 2 Methodological Pluralism in practice.- Introduction to Part 2: An Overview of Areas of blending - Discourse Analysis, program evaluation, policy - Jay Dorfman and Diana Dansereau.- Personal narratives by particular researchers whoreflect the juxtaposition of question/theory/problem guided research and methodological pluralism in their work.- Kate Fitzpatrick.- Roger Mantie.- Jay Dorfman.- Diana Dansereau.- Chad West.- Peter Miksza.- The value and importance of blending within a research agenda - Carlos Abril.- Considerations for developing new researchers who understand methodological pluralism - Susan Conkling and Peter Webster.- Challenges to disseminating such research and ideas for overcoming these challenges - Janet Barrett.- Technology as tools within modern music education research - Jay Dorfman.- Implications for author voice within a blended study or a pluralistic research agenda - Dana Fox.