Self-identified learning needs in style-bound musical improvisation

A qualitative, category-guided analysis for fostering self-directed action

Bibliographic Data

ID21717689
AuthorsDavoud Tavousi (0000-0003-0451-1361, University of Music Saar, corresponding author)
Year2026
Pages1-22
Publication date2026-01-29
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMusic Education Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-3808 • E-ISSN: 1469-9893
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14613808.2026.2621145
OpenAlexW7126065693
LanguageEN
References cited22

This qualitative study examines how students in higher music education recognise and articulate self-identified learning needs in style-bound improvisational contexts. Data were gathered through four workshops using semi-structured interviews, reflective diaries, classroom observations, video recordings, and participant feedback. Following Grounded Theory methodology, the analysis derived, using constant comparison, four overarching categories of learning needs through a systematic category-guided approach: (1) Self-Regulatory–Introspective Dimension, (2) Musical-Technical Dimension, (3) Social–Interactive Dimension, and (4) Cultural–Aesthetic Dimension. These domains reveal how learning needs act as diagnostic markers linking self-reflection, emotional regulation, and social interaction, while shaping the development of self-directed artistic development. Across data sources, learning needs became salient at moments where learners experienced breakdowns in confidence, fluency, role negotiation, or stylistic orientation and translated these difficulties into articulated targets for action. The findings suggest that addressing these needs can support psychological safety, collaborative creativity, and artistic responsibility. This model offers a transferable framework for curriculum design, teacher education, and assessment in style-bound improvisation by foregrounding learners’ diagnostic competence as a central mechanism of improvisational learning, and by informing curricula that harmonise reflective practice, inclusive pedagogy, and practice-oriented learning environments across diverse cultural and stylistic contexts

Experiential learning · Music education · Music psychology · Musical · Teaching method · Creativity in Education and Neuroscience · Diverse Music Education Insights · Reflective Practices in Education

Tools

Open DOI