Experiential Learning in Music Education: Insights from Educational Literature
Keywords:
experiential learning, musical experience, music education, reflective learningAbstract
Music learning is fundamentally shaped by direct experience, yet conceptual discussions of experiential learning within music education remain dispersed across existing scholarship. This study aims to examine how experiential learning is articulated and interpreted in music education literature. A qualitative literature-based approach was employed by reviewing twelve selected scholarly articles addressing experiential learning across diverse music education contexts. Data were analysed using thematic synthesis to identify recurring conceptual patterns, forms of musical learning experiences, and connections between experience, reflection, and musical understanding. The findings indicate that experiential learning consistently positions musical experience as the core of learning, while reflective processes and social interaction support the development of sustained musical understanding. These results highlight experiential learning as a conceptual framework that frames music learning as a contextual and meaning-oriented process rather than the transmission of discrete knowledge
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