Multicultural perspectives on research in music education

Quantitative research in the field of music education over the years has be en employed to answer questions related to all aspects of the field, with c onsiderable attention given to basic techniques of instructional practice. Investigations have been undertaken where results have been broadly general ized with little regard for differences in student populations. Although qu antitative subject groups often are delineated by gender, generally little concern is seen for differences in culture, ethnicity, or socioeconomic sta tus, which may have influenced the results. Multicultural education researc h (research concerning the equal educational opportunities for students fro m diverse ethnic, social class, and cultural groups [Banks & Banks, 1995, p .xi]). also has had a long history from a variety of perspectives. Some of the specific issues raised by multiculturalists (those scholars who support the concerns of multicultural education research), such as those concernin g quantitative research studies, have yet to be addressed fully by research ers in music education. The purpose of this discussion is to look at severa l multicultural concerns that are brought out through the use of quantitati ve methodologies in music education research. These concerns are highlighte d by the use of standardized tests of musical ability, by the ways in which subject groups are described, and by the way in which generalization of re sults are interpreted in selected research studies that were published in t he Journal for Research in Music Education.