Evidence based practices in music therapy education: An international survey

Evidence based practices in music therapy education: An international survey | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Evidence based practices in music therapy education: An international survey Alison Short, Annie Heiderscheit This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4681963/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Despite considerable improvements in the clinical practice evidence base, scant evidence exists about music therapy teaching practices either locally or worldwide and how to best convey music therapy knowledge and skills via the learning and teaching process. Our broad study explores educational practices of music therapy educators around the world via a custom designed and internationally disseminated survey tool. The current paper focuses particularly on the seven research-based principles which support excellence in teaching and learning (Ambrose et al., 2010 ) and how these are applied within the international music therapy education community. Sixty-one experienced music therapy educators from 19 countries completed the mixed method online survey, with data analysed statistically and thematically. Results suggest that music therapy educators currently reflect on their teaching practices but need further information about educational research to support their training needs. Findings further suggest that additional evidence-based teaching materials need to be developed, provided, and accessed to support music therapy educators around the world. Scholarship of teaching and learning Disciplinary thinking Educational development University learning and teaching Curriculum design Evidence-based knowledge Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 BACKGROUND Whilst evidence-based knowledge about disciplinary practice is increasingly becoming standard within the field of music therapy, the focus has been devoid to pedagogy in the context of professional training (Gardstrom et al., 2022 ; Murphy, Cohen, Heiderscheit, & Short, 2024 ). Other fields of education have already embraced evidence-based practice in their teaching approaches, and this has spread into the teaching of other health-based disciplines (Dewald, 2010 ; Pagnucci et al, 2015; Varga, Pótó, Czopf, & Füzesi, 2020 ). However, to date, little attention appears in the music therapy literature beyond an interest in clinical practice education (Short, 2022 ; Gooding & Rushing, 2022 ; Lee et al., 2023 ), some work around interprofessional teaching practices (Short & Heiderscheit, 2023 ) and the effect of the pandemic (Heiderscheit & Short, 2024 ). The current study investigates the application of evidence based educational teaching practices by music therapy educators around the world, seeking to derive further understandings of how they prepare graduates for their professional music therapy work. Evidence based teaching practices The way that educators approach their teaching practices is essential to the success of a teaching program and has increasingly been a focus generally at the tertiary teaching level. Whilst some may teach “the way that they were taught” in their own training, others may embrace more generally principles of tertiary education, amidst a wide range of academic pedagogy, evidence-based approaches to teaching have now begun to appear in the literature. This includes the work of Ambrose and colleagues ( 2010 ). Based on multiple research studies and explorations, these researchers consider learning to be a process involving change which is undertaken and experienced by the learner. Taking a developmental and holistic perspective, Ambrose and colleagues have distilled their investigations into seven research-based principles to support excellence in teaching and learning. These seven principles are: 1) Prior knowledge influences current and future practice; 2) How students organize knowledge influences how they learn; 3) Motivation determines, directs, and sustains learning; 4) Students develop learning mastery by acquiring component skills; 5) Goal directed practice with targeted feedback develops learning; 6) Emotional, social, and intellectual climate factors influence learning; and 7) Metacognition monitoring of learning fosters further learning. Looking more deeply at each of these seven principles, we find that prior knowledge can help or hinder students’ learning, influencing their interpretation of what they are learning, depending on if the prior learning provides a strong foundation or is insufficient, impeding new learning. Likewise, connections in the way that students organise knowledge influences how they learn and in turn can apply what they know, depending on accurate and meaningful organisation which can be effectively retrieved and applied; or alternatively such organisation can be inaccurate, random, or poorly retrieved and applied. Motivation affects autonomous student learning in terms of personal values, expectations, and perceived support, in turn making a difference to what, when and how students’ study and learn, and guiding their intensity, direction and persistence in learning, fundamentally linked to the positive value of learning. Acquisition and practice of component skills by students are needed for effectively integration of learning, so that students know how and when to apply their skills and knowledge both as they learn and as they achieve mastery. Feedback appropriately timed and communicated to student practice and performance helps students enhances the quality of learning by students. The classroom climate (intellectual, emotional, social) combines with individual student development has an effect on learning, where a positive climate energises learning and performance, and a negative climate impedes learning and performance. To become skilled self-directed learners, students need to develop metacognitive processes to self-monitor and control their learning. This includes assessing and evaluating themselves, planning and applying strategies, and monitoring and reflecting on whether their current learning approach is working, with a view to developing effective intellectual learning habits. In practical terms, Ambrose, and colleagues ( 2010 ) further delineate a wide range of strategies that can be employed in the application of each of the seven principles to support applied teaching and learning. The seven principles as outlined by Ambrose and colleagues have been broadly applied within the tertiary teaching contexts and across diverse disciplines such as chiropractic and food services trainings (Criddle, 2016 ; Gauthier, 2014 ; Karim, 2011 ; Nyquist & Jubran, 2012 ). Aims In view of this, our broad research aims focused on understanding the state and practice of music therapy education and training globally. For the current paper, our research aims specifically sought: To understand the current use of evidence-based teaching practices by music therapy educators, and if and how they align with the seven identified principles (Ambrose et al., 2010 ). To identify any additional principles that inform teaching in music therapy education and training. To explore the possible need for additional learning and teaching evidence to support music therapy educators. METHOD This study utilized a descriptive mixed methods design. The researchers created a survey that related to music therapy education and training, and this article reports on one aspect of this extensive survey. The survey was made available through SurveyMonkey™ and a link was distributed via social media platforms to allow for a snowball effect recruitment strategy. Both authors were actively engaged in directing accredited music therapy training programs in differing countries and had developed networks with music therapy educators. These connections and networks were also utilized to inform music therapy educators about the opportunity to participate in this survey study. This ensured that the survey could be shared among music therapy educators around the world, as a comprehensive listen of academic training programs and or collective contact information for music therapy educators around the world does not exist. The survey was available from November 2020 through October 2021. Materials The specialized survey was comprised of 55 questions which focused on various aspects of music therapy education and training. These topics included principles that inform teaching, delivery and format of teaching, subjects and topics, strategies, curriculum development, resources and materials utilized in teaching, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching. The authors designed the survey and developed the survey questions. Survey questions included checklists with opportunities to share information and open-ended questions. The questions related to the seven principles required a numerical response from 0 to 100, indicating how much they think about each principle in relationship to their teaching. They were also provided with a free text “Other” category in which to report further influences on their teaching. To ensure the questions were clear and ascertaining the targeted information, the survey was reviewed by a group of six senior international music therapy educators with substantial teaching experience. This included music therapy educators from Australia (1), China (1), Germany (1), Norway (1) and United States (2). This group of educators were asked to review all the survey questions rather than complete the survey. This helped ensure clarity and usability of the questions, for participants who speak English as their first language or whether it is an acquired language. Ethics approval and considerations The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board at Augsburg University (Number 2019-36-03). Participants completed consent via SurveyMonkey™ by reviewing informed consent and clicking consent to participate. Participants completed the survey anonymously only including their name and email at the end of the survey if they were interested in being notified of future collaborative efforts that may result from responses to the survey. Survey data were saved to a password-protected computer of one of the researchers. During the analysis process the data were subsequently reviewed by both researchers. Participant responses were not identifiable. Participants Participants for this study included music therapy educators from around the world. More specifically, educators engaged in music therapy training programs at all academic levels including undergraduate, equivalency, master, and doctorate, as well as, programs delivered in all formats (face-to-face, hybrid, or online). Music therapy educators included those that were full-time, part-time, adjunct, lecturers, and clinical coordinators. Data Analysis All responses and survey results were download from SurveyMonkey™. Survey questions from this mixed methods study were analysed utilizing descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, as they were relevant to the respective question. “Other” free text responses were reviewed and thematically coded (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and subsequently grouped as strategies within the seven principles as outlined by Ambrose and colleagues ( 2010 ). RESULTS Participant demographics The survey was completed by sixty-one music therapy educators, representing 19 different countries. The majority of survey respondents (33%) reported teaching between 1–5 years, with 19% teaching 6–15 years. Additionally, eighty-two percent of respondents identified as female. A majority of respondents were from the United States (27), which represented 44% of all participants, with the respondents representing the following, Australia (5), Canada (5), Norway (5), India (3), Israel (2), United Kingdom (3), Argentina (1), Brazil (1), China (1), Croatia (1), Greece (1), Hong Kong (1), Italy (1), Mexico (1), Poland (1), Spain (1), and Thailand (1). Most respondents (76%) reported teaching in one music therapy training course, with 78% teaching at the undergraduate level, 65% teaching at the graduate level, 28% at the doctoral level, and 12% teaching at equivalency level, indicating many educators were teaching in more than one educational level at one academic institution. Participants indicated their years of clinical experience with 22% having between 21–25 years, 21% having 16–20, and 21% having 26 or more years. Participants reported the format/delivery of their teaching. The vast majority teach (87%) in weekly/face to face format, 63% teaching online, 54% hybrid format, 39% intensive workshops, and 16% utilizing intensive block training. Twelve percent report other formats which included virtual presence (during COVID-19), online and face-to-face, clinical placements, twice weekly, bi-weekly, The Seven Principles Reporting on the extent to which the Seven Principles (Ambrose et al., 2010 ) inform, guide, and influence their teaching. Figures 1 – 7 illustrate the Influence of the Seven Principles (Ambrose et al., 2010 ) on music therapy educators’ teaching. The scatter plots for each of the principles indicate the distribution of percentages reported by participants regarding how much they consider the respective principle in their teaching. Figure 1 indicates how much participants think about prior knowledge influences current and future practice (Principle 1) . Figure 1 illustrates the distribution of participant responses ranged between 0-100% with a mean of 77%, which demonstrates strong agreement among educators about how much prior knowledge informs their teaching. Figure 2 reports how much educators think about how students organize knowledge (Principle 2) influences how they apply what they know in their teaching. This figure shows the spread of participant responses which ranged between 0-100% with a mean of 80%, indicating a high agreement among music therapy educators regarding how much student’s prior knowledge influences their teaching. Figure 3 indicates how much music therapy educators think about how motivation determines, directs, and sustains student learning (Principle 3). Participant responses ranged from 2-100%, with a mean of 88%, demonstrating a strong overall agreement regarding how much the way students organize information informs their teaching. Figure 4 illustrates how much participants think about how students develop learning mastery by acquiring component skills and practicing combining and integrating them (Principle 4) . Participant responses ranged from 1-100% with a mean of 86%, which indicates an overall high agreement among educators related to how much they consider student motivation determines, directs, and sustains learning related to their teaching. Figure 5 reports how much participants think about goal-directed practice couples with targeted feedback facilitations learning (Principle 5) . Participant reponses ranged between 0-100% with a mean of 80%. The scatterplot illustrates the largest cluster of responses between 70–100%, representing an overall high agreement among music therapy educators. Figure 6 indicates how much music therapy educators think about how emotional, social, and intellectual climate factors influence learning (Principle 6) . Participant responses ranged between 0-100% with a mean of 88%, indicating a high agreement among music therapy educators regarding how much emotional, social, and intellectual factors influence and inform their teaching. Figure 7 illustrates how much participants think about how metacognitive monitoring of learning facilitates further learning (Principle 7). Their responses ranged from 0-100% with a mean of 72%, demonstrating a moderately high agreement among music therapy educators related to how much metacognitive monitoring of learning informs their teaching. The scatterplot illustrates that the majority of responses fell in the 70–100% range. “Other” Principles Participants also reported a range of other principles that inform or influence their teaching in a free-text response. Fifty-six participants responded to this question and listed a wide array of principles and practices they integrate into their approach to teaching to foster and support student learning. Interestingly, within the 70 free-text responses to this question, analytical review and grouping of the responses demonstrated that 46 of the “Other” responses fitted within the Seven Principles. Responses which were initially reviewed as possible additional learning and teaching principles were found on closer examination to fit within the strategies of each of the seven principles, as outlined by Ambrose and colleagues ( 2010 ). For example, within Principle 1 (Prior knowledge) responses included referring to student’s life experiences, student-oriented teaching, and a person-centred framework, whereas for Principle 2 (Organized knowledge) responses included educational principles – Bloom’s taxonomy, Millers pyramid, and the Solo taxonomy. Relating to Principle 3 (Motivation), responses included the centrality of music in music therapy practice. Looking at Principle 4 (Component Skills), respondents outlined their educational principles as: providing a clear description of skills expected to learn; practical applications; problem-based learning; collaborative process; self-reflection, and critical thinking – with the latter two being cited combined a total of nine times. Focusing on Principle 5 (Targeted feedback), responses included feedback in various formats (including faculty-to-student and peer feedback) a total of 5 times; student post-grad reports, faculty observation, and encouraging student strengths and potentials (student successes). Learning climate factors (Principle 6) included a range of responses: educator-student relationship/ personal contact with each student; musical joy and experiences of togetherness; students learning when connected to their teachers; understanding student learning style and adapting to them; and being flexible. Within Principle 7 (Meta-cognitive monitoring), responses included Meta competence (“knowing what you don’t know”) and cognitive development. DISCUSSION Within a broader study, this article has explored how music therapy educators use the Seven evidence-based Principles of teaching (Ambrose et al., 2010 ) and related strategies in their music therapy teaching. To our knowledge, this is the first such study in the music therapy field. We found that respondents appeared invested in the topic of the survey, as shown by the enormous number of “Other” responses and the inherent time committed to providing answers (70 free-text responses). We also note that in reviewing these additional responses, there was some confusion around principles and strategies, suggesting the need for more nuanced understandings by educators. Overall, we found that the attitudes of music therapy educators broadly aligned with the Seven Principles of Ambrose and colleagues, which suggested that music therapy educators were doing well with understanding how planning and organisation of knowledge and associated motivation links with practical knowledge development and mastery, to practice and acquire skills within a conducive psychosocial and intellectual climate. It is worth noting that 33% of the respondents reported teaching between 1–5 years, indicating they are in the early stages of their role as a music therapy educator. Least aligned with the Seven Principles were understandings of how the prior knowledge of students influenced the teaching practices of educators, and how a focus on metacognition monitoring of learning, such as student self-self-reflection on their own learning, fosters further learning. In particular, there may need to be more work to be done around the bigger picture of how music therapy educators can use and build on student training entry-level skills to foster and guide self-directed learning within the student, in order to enhance their further educational development. A question not addressed within this survey was time capacity. Informal discussions suggest that many music therapy programs may experience a perception of limited time available to address all the required competencies, thereby promoting a nuts-and-bolts mechanistic approach to tick off boxes/categories of competency; to the detriment of enhancing joyful lifelong learning approaches. Music therapy has a unique need for incorporating and adapting other educational approaches, given that we are adding applied music skills into the educational mix. Whilst some people may suggest that the principles on which our research is based are not music therapy specific, Ambrose and colleagues ( 2010 ) posit that their Seven Principles are 1) domain-independent , applying equally well across all subject disciplines, 2) experience-independent , across all levels of the learning experience, and 3) cross-culturally relevant , and they have obtained feedback that their principles are also relevant across non-Western countries. Beyond the current study initiated in 2021, Ambrose and colleagues have now added an additional Principle based on their extended evidence-based educational work (Lovett, Bridges, DiPietro, Ambrose, & Norman, 2023 ). This now appears as an initial first principle added to the existing previous seven principles. The new first principle states “Students differ from each other on multiple dimensions… influencing how they experience the world and in turn their learning and performance” (Lovett, Bridges, DiPietro, Ambrose, & Norman, 2023 , p. 3). Therefore, we expect that the updated full eight principles will be used for our subsequent research studies of music therapy education. Whilst evidence-based practice in music therapy is well understood from a clinical practice perspective, we strongly state that evidence-based education is also needed in our profession, and indeed “teaching how we were taught” is no longer best practice in any tertiary discipline. It is clear from the scant literature available that music therapy education and training have been slow to be researched, and we hope that our study and the beginning work of others will stimulate more focus and research into this important area. Clearly, research is needed to build the evidence base related to music therapy education and training, where evidence-based education improves the manner in which we teach students and ultimately the future of our profession. Beyond existing views, attitudes and experience, our study also sought to influence educators by determining the possible need for additional learning and teaching evidence for music therapy educators (Heiderscheit & Short, 2024 ). Into the future, we suggest that music therapy-specific training modules using the Ambrose Seven Principles are necessary, and we have begun working on such training modules, which will undoubtedly be linked to as music therapy educators online support group. Limitations exist within the current study. Although our recruitment and participation achieved an international reach of 61 respondents across 19 countries, we know that many more music therapy educators exist worldwide and work in additional countries. Completing the survey in English may have been prohibitive to some music therapy educators. Further, understanding the Seven Principles as presented in the survey may have been challenging for participants, and in subsequent surveys an extended explanation of each principle would be helpful to ensure additionally relevant responses. CONCLUSIONS Based on the results of our global survey, we highly recommend that music therapy educators continue to reflect on their teaching and learning practices, and that they actively work to increase their knowledge about education in a cross-disciplinary and interprofessional manner. This includes the use of evidence-based educational principles as has been detailed in this article. We also advocate for increased documentation and research related to music therapy education and training, in order to support and grow the field of music therapy. Exploring how music therapy educators may apply at these principles at the various levels of music therapy education and training would also serve the profession. Considering music therapy is credentialed at different levels around the world and therefore the training at different degree levels may focus on entry-level practice, advanced level practice, and education or research. In the meantime, music therapy educators are advised to access additional relevant evidence-based research related to teaching practices across other fields and use this relevant knowledge to improve their teaching practices, in turn drawing upon the advances in education and training to inform the field and our teaching practices for the future of music therapy. Declarations Author Contribution AS and AH wrote the main manuscript text, and AH prepared the figures. All authors reviewed the manuscript. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors acknowledge and thank all music therapy educators who participated in this research study. Data Availability Data is provided and summarised within the manuscript and can be further requested from the authors, as necessary. References Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: 7 research-based principles for smart teaching . Wiley. Criddle, D. K. (2016). Book review: How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. Journal of Adult Education , 45 (1), 19–20. Dewald, L. (2010). Building pedagogical intelligence in allied health: A primer. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice , 8 (3), Article 7. Gardstrom, S., Hiller, J., Heiderscheit, A., & Jackson, N. (2022). Music therapy pre-internship education and training: Support for a methods-based approach. Music Therapy Perspectives , 40 (1), 14–22. doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miab026 . Gauthier, L. M. (2014). Book Review: How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning , 14 (1), 126–129. 10.14434/josotl.v14i1.4219 . Gooding, L. F., & Rushing, J. L. (2022). Clinical teletraining in music therapy: Two educators’ perspectives. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy , 31 (3), 244–258. doi.org/10.1080/08098131.2022.2049352 . Heiderscheit, A., & Short, A. (2024). Challenges and innovations during the COVID-19 pandemic: An international survey of music therapy educators. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy . 10.1080/08098131.2023.2283077 . Heiderscheit, A., & Short, A. (2024). How should we train music therapy educators? [Manuscript in preparation] . Anglia Ruskin University in collaboration with Western Sydney University. Karim, A. A. (2011). Book Review: How Learning Works: 7 Research-based Principles for Smart Teaching. Journal of Food Science Education , 10 (3), 27–29. Lee, J., Moonier, E., & Heiderscheit, A. (2023). Alternative clinical training during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: Student’s experiences. Music Therapy Perspectives , 42 (1), 63–74. oi.org/10.1093/mtp/miad026 . Lovett, M. C., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Ambrose, S. A., & Norman, M. K. (2023). How Learning Works: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching , 2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons. Murphy, K., Cohen, M., Heiderscheit, A., & Short, A. (2023). Music therapy education: A systematic review of existing evidence . SUNY-New Paltz. [Manuscript in preparation for publication]. Nyquist, J. G., & Jubran, R. (2012). Book Review: How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. The Journal of Chiropractic Education , 26 (2), 192–193. 10.7899/JCE-12-022 . Pagnucci1, N., Carnevale, F. A., Bagnasco, A., Tolotti, A., Cadorin, L., & Sasso (2015). A cross-sectional study of pedagogical strategies in nursing education: opportunities and constraints toward using effective pedagogy. BMC Medical Education , 15 , 138. 10.1186/s12909-015-0411-5 . Short, A. (2022). Designing narrative for professional development: A programme for improving international health care practitioners’ cultural competence. International Review of Education: Journal of Lifelong Learning (UNESCO) , 68 (4), 601–629. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-022-09972-8 . Short, A., & Heiderscheit, A. (2023). Expanding music therapy education and training to support interprofessional collaborative practice. In K. Goodman (Ed.), Developing issues in world music therapy and education: A plurality of views (pp. 72–95). Charles C Thomas, Ltd. Varga, Z., Pótó, Z., Czopf, L., & Füzesi, Z. (2020). Do we need special pedagogy in medical schools? – Attitudes of teachers and students in Hungary: A cross-sectional study. BMC Medical Education , 20 , 472. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02385-x . Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4681963","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":326136002,"identity":"78e353f6-e509-4bf9-8c1c-8ec0e6924fc9","order_by":0,"name":"Alison Short","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Western Sydney University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alison","middleName":"","lastName":"Short","suffix":""},{"id":326136003,"identity":"f44cb4da-0633-4de0-a88f-cdfa0b19442c","order_by":1,"name":"Annie Heiderscheit","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Anglia Ruskin University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Annie","middleName":"","lastName":"Heiderscheit","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-07-03 17:06:30","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4681963/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4681963/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":61334933,"identity":"cbee2a8c-c40e-4776-b028-acb1d30b8ea2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-29 15:25:10","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":241385,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003ePrior knowledge\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4681963/v1/f7a67ae0c096371009b509bf.jpg"},{"id":61334132,"identity":"98c8a4b6-0946-409b-8500-0b5ffe94dbfa","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-29 15:17:10","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":213657,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eHow students organize knowledge\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4681963/v1/ba58ea9c6422eb63e6d92edc.jpg"},{"id":61334130,"identity":"27b78f3e-ed67-4abe-bb7c-c606755775e8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-29 15:17:10","extension":"jpg","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":266634,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eHow much motivation determines, directs \u0026amp; sustains learning\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image3.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4681963/v1/886174c3ba97a29edfa0e61c.jpg"},{"id":61334934,"identity":"e17dfbe6-0732-4443-916c-82913eda595d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-29 15:25:10","extension":"jpg","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":270091,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eHow students develop learning by mastering acquiring component skills\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image4.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4681963/v1/2f7ee7e004bc90b6b679f411.jpg"},{"id":61334134,"identity":"3a86649a-ab14-48f2-9518-127a2a937c30","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-29 15:17:10","extension":"jpg","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":313898,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eHow much goal-directed practice coupled with targeted feedback facilitates learning\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image5.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4681963/v1/ac68d5cce1cd083bf29cce85.jpg"},{"id":61334136,"identity":"446af7fb-e3f3-4439-b830-87140fac04d9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-29 15:17:10","extension":"jpg","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":311699,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eHow much emotional, social, \u0026amp; intellectual climate factors influence learning\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image6.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4681963/v1/6be0312769c4d9403a609943.jpg"},{"id":61334135,"identity":"9a891af4-81d6-4b62-9c4c-0a6bf2f9e381","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-29 15:17:10","extension":"jpg","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":220534,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eHow metacognitive monitoring of learning facilitates learning\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image7.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4681963/v1/90a698586f7657f107cfa82f.jpg"},{"id":64522444,"identity":"4a101a6e-a8b8-4b99-b498-eb866be8e051","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-09-14 12:18:59","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2151875,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4681963/v1/49cb85cf-6af6-4b61-aa50-1dfa82292855.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Evidence based practices in music therapy education: An international survey","fulltext":[{"header":"BACKGROUND","content":"\u003cp\u003eWhilst evidence-based knowledge about disciplinary practice is increasingly becoming standard within the field of music therapy, the focus has been devoid to pedagogy in the context of professional training (Gardstrom et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Murphy, Cohen, Heiderscheit, \u0026amp; Short, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Other fields of education have already embraced evidence-based practice in their teaching approaches, and this has spread into the teaching of other health-based disciplines (Dewald, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e; Pagnucci et al, 2015; Varga, P\u0026oacute;t\u0026oacute;, Czopf, \u0026amp; F\u0026uuml;zesi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). However, to date, little attention appears in the music therapy literature beyond an interest in clinical practice education (Short, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Gooding \u0026amp; Rushing, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Lee et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), some work around interprofessional teaching practices (Short \u0026amp; Heiderscheit, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) and the effect of the pandemic (Heiderscheit \u0026amp; Short, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The current study investigates the application of evidence based educational teaching practices by music therapy educators around the world, seeking to derive further understandings of how they prepare graduates for their professional music therapy work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEvidence based teaching practices\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe way that educators approach their teaching practices is essential to the success of a teaching program and has increasingly been a focus generally at the tertiary teaching level. Whilst some may teach \u0026ldquo;the way that they were taught\u0026rdquo; in their own training, others may embrace more generally principles of tertiary education, amidst a wide range of academic pedagogy, evidence-based approaches to teaching have now begun to appear in the literature. This includes the work of Ambrose and colleagues (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). Based on multiple research studies and explorations, these researchers consider learning to be a process involving change which is undertaken and experienced by the learner. Taking a developmental and holistic perspective, Ambrose and colleagues have distilled their investigations into seven research-based principles to support excellence in teaching and learning. These seven principles are: 1) Prior knowledge influences current and future practice; 2) How students organize knowledge influences how they learn; 3) Motivation determines, directs, and sustains learning; 4) Students develop learning mastery by acquiring component skills; 5) Goal directed practice with targeted feedback develops learning; 6) Emotional, social, and intellectual climate factors influence learning; and 7) Metacognition monitoring of learning fosters further learning. Looking more deeply at each of these seven principles, we find that prior knowledge can help or hinder students\u0026rsquo; learning, influencing their interpretation of what they are learning, depending on if the prior learning provides a strong foundation or is insufficient, impeding new learning. Likewise, connections in the way that students organise knowledge influences how they learn and in turn can apply what they know, depending on accurate and meaningful organisation which can be effectively retrieved and applied; or alternatively such organisation can be inaccurate, random, or poorly retrieved and applied. Motivation affects autonomous student learning in terms of personal values, expectations, and perceived support, in turn making a difference to what, when and how students\u0026rsquo; study and learn, and guiding their intensity, direction and persistence in learning, fundamentally linked to the positive value of learning. Acquisition and practice of component skills by students are needed for effectively integration of learning, so that students know how and when to apply their skills and knowledge both as they learn and as they achieve mastery. Feedback appropriately timed and communicated to student practice and performance helps students enhances the quality of learning by students. The classroom climate (intellectual, emotional, social) combines with individual student development has an effect on learning, where a positive climate energises learning and performance, and a negative climate impedes learning and performance. To become skilled self-directed learners, students need to develop metacognitive processes to self-monitor and control their learning. This includes assessing and evaluating themselves, planning and applying strategies, and monitoring and reflecting on whether their current learning approach is working, with a view to developing effective intellectual learning habits. In practical terms, Ambrose, and colleagues (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e) further delineate a wide range of strategies that can be employed in the application of each of the seven principles to support applied teaching and learning. The seven principles as outlined by Ambrose and colleagues have been broadly applied within the tertiary teaching contexts and across diverse disciplines such as chiropractic and food services trainings (Criddle, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Gauthier, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Karim, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Nyquist \u0026amp; Jubran, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAims\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn view of this, our broad research aims focused on understanding the state and practice of music therapy education and training globally. For the current paper, our research aims specifically sought:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo understand the current use of evidence-based teaching practices by music therapy educators, and if and how they align with the seven identified principles (Ambrose et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo identify any additional principles that inform teaching in music therapy education and training.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo explore the possible need for additional learning and teaching evidence to support music therapy educators.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"METHOD","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study utilized a descriptive mixed methods design. The researchers created a survey that related to music therapy education and training, and this article reports on one aspect of this extensive survey. The survey was made available through SurveyMonkey\u0026trade; and a link was distributed via social media platforms to allow for a snowball effect recruitment strategy. Both authors were actively engaged in directing accredited music therapy training programs in differing countries and had developed networks with music therapy educators. These connections and networks were also utilized to inform music therapy educators about the opportunity to participate in this survey study. This ensured that the survey could be shared among music therapy educators around the world, as a comprehensive listen of academic training programs and or collective contact information for music therapy educators around the world does not exist. The survey was available from November 2020 through October 2021.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eMaterials\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe specialized survey was comprised of 55 questions which focused on various aspects of music therapy education and training. These topics included principles that inform teaching, delivery and format of teaching, subjects and topics, strategies, curriculum development, resources and materials utilized in teaching, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching. The authors designed the survey and developed the survey questions. Survey questions included checklists with opportunities to share information and open-ended questions. The questions related to the seven principles required a numerical response from 0 to 100, indicating how much they think about each principle in relationship to their teaching. They were also provided with a free text \u0026ldquo;Other\u0026rdquo; category in which to report further influences on their teaching.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo ensure the questions were clear and ascertaining the targeted information, the survey was reviewed by a group of six senior international music therapy educators with substantial teaching experience. This included music therapy educators from Australia (1), China (1), Germany (1), Norway (1) and United States (2). This group of educators were asked to review all the survey questions rather than complete the survey. This helped ensure clarity and usability of the questions, for participants who speak English as their first language or whether it is an acquired language.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEthics approval and considerations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board at Augsburg University (Number 2019-36-03). Participants completed consent via SurveyMonkey\u0026trade; by reviewing informed consent and clicking consent to participate. Participants completed the survey anonymously only including their name and email at the end of the survey if they were interested in being notified of future collaborative efforts that may result from responses to the survey. Survey data were saved to a password-protected computer of one of the researchers. During the analysis process the data were subsequently reviewed by both researchers. Participant responses were not identifiable.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eParticipants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants for this study included music therapy educators from around the world. More specifically, educators engaged in music therapy training programs at all academic levels including undergraduate, equivalency, master, and doctorate, as well as, programs delivered in all formats (face-to-face, hybrid, or online). Music therapy educators included those that were full-time, part-time, adjunct, lecturers, and clinical coordinators.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll responses and survey results were download from SurveyMonkey\u0026trade;. Survey questions from this mixed methods study were analysed utilizing descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, as they were relevant to the respective question. \u0026ldquo;Other\u0026rdquo; free text responses were reviewed and thematically coded (Braun \u0026amp; Clarke, 2006) and subsequently grouped as strategies within the seven principles as outlined by Ambrose and colleagues (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"RESULTS","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eParticipant demographics\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe survey was completed by sixty-one music therapy educators, representing 19 different countries. The majority of survey respondents (33%) reported teaching between 1\u0026ndash;5 years, with 19% teaching 6\u0026ndash;15 years. Additionally, eighty-two percent of respondents identified as female. A majority of respondents were from the United States (27), which represented 44% of all participants, with the respondents representing the following, Australia (5), Canada (5), Norway (5), India (3), Israel (2), United Kingdom (3), Argentina (1), Brazil (1), China (1), Croatia (1), Greece (1), Hong Kong (1), Italy (1), Mexico (1), Poland (1), Spain (1), and Thailand (1).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMost respondents (76%) reported teaching in one music therapy training course, with 78% teaching at the undergraduate level, 65% teaching at the graduate level, 28% at the doctoral level, and 12% teaching at equivalency level, indicating many educators were teaching in more than one educational level at one academic institution. Participants indicated their years of clinical experience with 22% having between 21\u0026ndash;25 years, 21% having 16\u0026ndash;20, and 21% having 26 or more years. Participants reported the format/delivery of their teaching. The vast majority teach (87%) in weekly/face to face format, 63% teaching online, 54% hybrid format, 39% intensive workshops, and 16% utilizing intensive block training. Twelve percent report other formats which included virtual presence (during COVID-19), online and face-to-face, clinical placements, twice weekly, bi-weekly,\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eThe Seven Principles\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eReporting on the extent to which the Seven Principles (Ambrose et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e) inform, guide, and influence their teaching. Figures\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e illustrate the Influence of the Seven Principles (Ambrose et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e) on music therapy educators\u0026rsquo; teaching. The scatter plots for each of the principles indicate the distribution of percentages reported by participants regarding how much they consider the respective principle in their teaching. Figure\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e indicates how much participants think about \u003cem\u003eprior knowledge influences current and future practice (Principle 1)\u003c/em\u003e. Figure\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e illustrates the distribution of participant responses ranged between 0-100% with a mean of 77%, which demonstrates strong agreement among educators about how much prior knowledge informs their teaching.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e reports how much educators think about \u003cem\u003ehow students organize knowledge (Principle 2)\u003c/em\u003e influences how they apply what they know in their teaching. This figure shows the spread of participant responses which ranged between 0-100% with a mean of 80%, indicating a high agreement among music therapy educators regarding how much student\u0026rsquo;s prior knowledge influences their teaching.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e indicates how much music therapy educators think about \u003cem\u003ehow motivation determines, directs, and sustains student learning (Principle 3).\u003c/em\u003e Participant responses ranged from 2-100%, with a mean of 88%, demonstrating a strong overall agreement regarding how much the way students organize information informs their teaching.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e illustrates how much participants think about \u003cem\u003ehow students develop learning mastery by acquiring component skills and practicing combining and integrating them (Principle 4)\u003c/em\u003e. Participant responses ranged from 1-100% with a mean of 86%, which indicates an overall high agreement among educators related to how much they consider student motivation determines, directs, and sustains learning related to their teaching.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e reports how much participants think about \u003cem\u003egoal-directed practice couples with targeted feedback facilitations learning (Principle 5)\u003c/em\u003e. Participant reponses ranged between 0-100% with a mean of 80%. The scatterplot illustrates the largest cluster of responses between 70\u0026ndash;100%, representing an overall high agreement among music therapy educators.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan refid=\"Fig6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e indicates how much music therapy educators think about \u003cem\u003ehow emotional, social, and intellectual climate factors influence learning (Principle 6)\u003c/em\u003e. Participant responses ranged between 0-100% with a mean of 88%, indicating a high agreement among music therapy educators regarding how much emotional, social, and intellectual factors influence and inform their teaching.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan refid=\"Fig7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e illustrates how much participants think about \u003cem\u003ehow metacognitive monitoring of learning facilitates further learning (Principle 7).\u003c/em\u003e Their responses ranged from 0-100% with a mean of 72%, demonstrating a moderately high agreement among music therapy educators related to how much metacognitive monitoring of learning informs their teaching. The scatterplot illustrates that the majority of responses fell in the 70\u0026ndash;100% range.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Other\u0026rdquo; Principles\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Participants also reported a range of other principles that inform or influence their teaching in a free-text response. Fifty-six participants responded to this question and listed a wide array of principles and practices they integrate into their approach to teaching to foster and support student learning.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInterestingly, within the 70 free-text responses to this question, analytical review and grouping of the responses demonstrated that 46 of the \u0026ldquo;Other\u0026rdquo; responses fitted within the Seven Principles. Responses which were initially reviewed as possible additional learning and teaching principles were found on closer examination to fit within the strategies of each of the seven principles, as outlined by Ambrose and colleagues (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). For example, within Principle 1 (Prior knowledge) responses included referring to student\u0026rsquo;s life experiences, student-oriented teaching, and a person-centred framework, whereas for Principle 2 (Organized knowledge) responses included educational principles \u0026ndash; Bloom\u0026rsquo;s taxonomy, Millers pyramid, and the Solo taxonomy. Relating to Principle 3 (Motivation), responses included the centrality of music in music therapy practice. Looking at Principle 4 (Component Skills), respondents outlined their educational principles as: providing a clear description of skills expected to learn; practical applications; problem-based learning; collaborative process; self-reflection, and critical thinking \u0026ndash; with the latter two being cited combined a total of nine times. Focusing on Principle 5 (Targeted feedback), responses included feedback in various formats (including faculty-to-student and peer feedback) a total of 5 times; student post-grad reports, faculty observation, and encouraging student strengths and potentials (student successes). Learning climate factors (Principle 6) included a range of responses: educator-student relationship/ personal contact with each student; musical joy and experiences of togetherness; students learning when connected to their teachers; understanding student learning style and adapting to them; and being flexible. Within Principle 7 (Meta-cognitive monitoring), responses included Meta competence (\u0026ldquo;knowing what you don\u0026rsquo;t know\u0026rdquo;) and cognitive development.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eWithin a broader study, this article has explored how music therapy educators use the Seven evidence-based Principles of teaching (Ambrose et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e) and related strategies in their music therapy teaching. To our knowledge, this is the first such study in the music therapy field. We found that respondents appeared invested in the topic of the survey, as shown by the enormous number of \u0026ldquo;Other\u0026rdquo; responses and the inherent time committed to providing answers (70 free-text responses). We also note that in reviewing these additional responses, there was some confusion around principles and strategies, suggesting the need for more nuanced understandings by educators.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOverall, we found that the attitudes of music therapy educators broadly aligned with the Seven Principles of Ambrose and colleagues, which suggested that music therapy educators were doing well with understanding how planning and organisation of knowledge and associated motivation links with practical knowledge development and mastery, to practice and acquire skills within a conducive psychosocial and intellectual climate. It is worth noting that 33% of the respondents reported teaching between 1\u0026ndash;5 years, indicating they are in the early stages of their role as a music therapy educator.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLeast aligned with the Seven Principles were understandings of how the prior knowledge of students influenced the teaching practices of educators, and how a focus on metacognition monitoring of learning, such as student self-self-reflection on their own learning, fosters further learning. In particular, there may need to be more work to be done around the bigger picture of how music therapy educators can use and build on student training entry-level skills to foster and guide self-directed learning within the student, in order to enhance their further educational development. A question not addressed within this survey was time capacity. Informal discussions suggest that many music therapy programs may experience a perception of limited time available to address all the required competencies, thereby promoting a nuts-and-bolts mechanistic approach to tick off boxes/categories of competency; to the detriment of enhancing joyful lifelong learning approaches.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMusic therapy has a unique need for incorporating and adapting other educational approaches, given that we are adding applied music skills into the educational mix. Whilst some people may suggest that the principles on which our research is based are not music therapy specific, Ambrose and colleagues (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e) posit that their Seven Principles are 1) \u003cem\u003edomain-independent\u003c/em\u003e, applying equally well across all subject disciplines, 2) \u003cem\u003eexperience-independent\u003c/em\u003e, across all levels of the learning experience, and 3) \u003cem\u003ecross-culturally relevant\u003c/em\u003e, and they have obtained feedback that their principles are also relevant across non-Western countries.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBeyond the current study initiated in 2021, Ambrose and colleagues have now added an additional Principle based on their extended evidence-based educational work (Lovett, Bridges, DiPietro, Ambrose, \u0026amp; Norman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This now appears as an initial first principle added to the existing previous seven principles. The new first principle states \u0026ldquo;Students differ from each other on multiple dimensions\u0026hellip; influencing how they experience the world and in turn their learning and performance\u0026rdquo; (Lovett, Bridges, DiPietro, Ambrose, \u0026amp; Norman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e, p. 3). Therefore, we expect that the updated full eight principles will be used for our subsequent research studies of music therapy education.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhilst evidence-based practice in music therapy is well understood from a clinical practice perspective, we strongly state that evidence-based education is also needed in our profession, and indeed \u0026ldquo;teaching how we were taught\u0026rdquo; is no longer best practice in any tertiary discipline. It is clear from the scant literature available that music therapy education and training have been slow to be researched, and we hope that our study and the beginning work of others will stimulate more focus and research into this important area. Clearly, research is needed to build the evidence base related to music therapy education and training, where evidence-based education improves the manner in which we teach students and ultimately the future of our profession.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBeyond existing views, attitudes and experience, our study also sought to influence educators by determining the possible need for additional learning and teaching evidence for music therapy educators (Heiderscheit \u0026amp; Short, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Into the future, we suggest that music therapy-specific training modules using the Ambrose Seven Principles are necessary, and we have begun working on such training modules, which will undoubtedly be linked to as music therapy educators online support group.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLimitations exist within the current study. Although our recruitment and participation achieved an international reach of 61 respondents across 19 countries, we know that many more music therapy educators exist worldwide and work in additional countries. Completing the survey in English may have been prohibitive to some music therapy educators. Further, understanding the Seven Principles as presented in the survey may have been challenging for participants, and in subsequent surveys an extended explanation of each principle would be helpful to ensure additionally relevant responses.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"CONCLUSIONS","content":"\u003cp\u003eBased on the results of our global survey, we highly recommend that music therapy educators continue to reflect on their teaching and learning practices, and that they actively work to increase their knowledge about education in a cross-disciplinary and interprofessional manner. This includes the use of evidence-based educational principles as has been detailed in this article. We also advocate for increased documentation and research related to music therapy education and training, in order to support and grow the field of music therapy. Exploring how music therapy educators may apply at these principles at the various levels of music therapy education and training would also serve the profession. Considering music therapy is credentialed at different levels around the world and therefore the training at different degree levels may focus on entry-level practice, advanced level practice, and education or research. In the meantime, music therapy educators are advised to access additional relevant evidence-based research related to teaching practices across other fields and use this relevant knowledge to improve their teaching practices, in turn drawing upon the advances in education and training to inform the field and our teaching practices for the future of music therapy.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAS and AH wrote the main manuscript text, and AH prepared the figures. All authors reviewed the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eACKNOWLEDGEMENTS\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe authors acknowledge and thank all music therapy educators who participated in this research study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eData is provided and summarised within the manuscript and can be further requested from the authors, as necessary.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmbrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., \u0026amp; Norman, M. K. (2010). \u003cem\u003eHow learning works: 7 research-based principles for smart teaching\u003c/em\u003e. Wiley.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCriddle, D. K. (2016). 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Charles C Thomas, Ltd.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVarga, Z., P\u0026oacute;t\u0026oacute;, Z., Czopf, L., \u0026amp; F\u0026uuml;zesi, Z. (2020). Do we need special pedagogy in medical schools? \u0026ndash; Attitudes of teachers and students in Hungary: A cross-sectional study. \u003cem\u003eBMC Medical Education\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e20\u003c/em\u003e, 472. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02385-x\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1186/s12909-020-02385-x\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Scholarship of teaching and learning, Disciplinary thinking, Educational development, University learning and teaching, Curriculum design, Evidence-based knowledge","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4681963/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4681963/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eDespite considerable improvements in the clinical practice evidence base, scant evidence exists about music therapy teaching practices either locally or worldwide and how to best convey music therapy knowledge and skills via the learning and teaching process. Our broad study explores educational practices of music therapy educators around the world via a custom designed and internationally disseminated survey tool. The current paper focuses particularly on the seven research-based principles which support excellence in teaching and learning (Ambrose et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e) and how these are applied within the international music therapy education community. Sixty-one experienced music therapy educators from 19 countries completed the mixed method online survey, with data analysed statistically and thematically. Results suggest that music therapy educators currently reflect on their teaching practices but need further information about educational research to support their training needs. Findings further suggest that additional evidence-based teaching materials need to be developed, provided, and accessed to support music therapy educators around the world.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Evidence based practices in music therapy education: An international survey","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-07-29 15:17:05","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4681963/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":1}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"2ce78099-9acf-42b1-8012-c288f657086e","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 29th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-09-14T12:10:52+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-07-29 15:17:05","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4681963","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4681963","identity":"rs-4681963","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}