Sanna Kivijärvi : Towards equity in music education through reviewing policy and teacher autonomy

Music education policies worldwide are required to abide by the obligation to operate on the basis of equity, which is also an issue of social justice, and legal and political human rights. Yet, the complexity of issues of equity and justice remains largely unrecognised in music education, particularly in relation to the specific, more vulnerable groups of students, such as those with dis/abilities. This doctoral dissertation examines educational equity and discrimination in Finnish music education system, both as part of basic education and basic education in the arts, while expanding the discussion to international music education contexts. The Finnish education system as a whole is grounded in the ideal of educational equity, indicating that everyone should have access to high-quality education and educational outcomes regardless of factors specific to individual circumstances and background. However, this education system has also imposed discriminatory practices regarding who gets to study music, in what ways, and to what extent, overlooking certain groups of students, such as people with dis/abilities. To advance equity in music education, the research examines how practice-led policy changes can be achieved through an innovative music notation system called Figurenotes and the accommodation of teaching as context-sensitive. Through these interlinked cases, the dissertation analyses discrimination and equity policy efforts in relation to normative assumptions about ability in music education. Theoretically, the project centres on educational equity, teacher autonomy and the broad concept of policy through the lens of ableism and disablism