General music teachers' attitudes and practices regarding multicultural music education in Malaysia

Abstract

This study examined the utilisation of multicultural music education by Malaysian music teachers, with an emphasis on the relationship between music teachers’ attitudes and their subsequent degree of effort in developing and implementing multicultural music education in their music classes. Respondents for the study were 456 music teachers; responses were collected via an adapted version of the original Music Specialist’s Multicultural Music Education Survey instrument. Results indicate that there is limited implementation of multicultural music education in music classrooms due to inadequate preparation and limited resources and insufficient knowledge of multicultural music. As such, music teacher training programmes are needed in order to address both the theoretical and practical aspects of multicultural music education throughout the curriculum in a comprehensive and long-term manner.

Keywords:

• multiculturalism
• music education
• teachers' attitudes
• Malaysia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Kwan Yie Wong is a Senior Music Lecturer at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. She received her doctorate in music education from University of Malaya. Her research interests include the multicultural music education, choral music education and Malaysian music.

Kok Chang Pan is currently a senior lecturer in music education at the University of Malaya. He also originated the Bachelors in Performing Arts (Music) degree program in 1997. He currently teaches music education methods courses, music appreciation, as well as graduate students in music education and research. Dr. Pan's current academic interest is in research methods, music pedagogy, education & perception.

Shahanum Mohd Shah is an Associate Professor of Music Education at the Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Perf.) (Hons) degree from Adelaide University, Australia and the M. Mus. Ed. and PhD degrees (Major: Music Education; Minors: Ethnomusicology and Administration) from Indiana University, Bloomington, USA. Her primary research interests include teaching and learning of music, assessment, psychology of music, and the Malay gamelan. Shahanum also serves on the editorial board of several journals in Malaysia.