Mapping the possibilities of qualitative research in music education: a primer

Increasing numbers of music education researchers have begun to use qualitative methods to examine research topics using interviews, observations, documents, and archival data. In this article, I review qualitative research methodology and its origins and methods, discuss topics that have been studied by music education researchers using qualitative research methods, and show possible ways that qualitative research methods might be used to investigate topics in music education. The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance to researchers in music education exploring qualitative methodology, music educators who supervise students conducting qualitative research projects; and classroom practitioners who would like to explore the possibilities of qualitative research design and methods to study research problems in school settings. This mapping of possibilities for qualitative research provides a broad palette of options from which music education researchers might choose to examine significant issues of interest.