“Musical Instruments for Girls, Musical Instruments for Boys”
Italian Primary and Middle School Students’ Beliefs About Gender Appropriateness of Musical Instruments
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22044838 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eleonora Concina (0000-0001-8705-2732, University of Padua, corresponding author), Rossana Gesuato (0009-0008-5935-6817, Conservatorio di Musica 'Francesco Venezze' di Rovigo) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 474 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-10 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci15040474 |
| OpenAlex | W4409327562 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 20 |
Background: For children, the decision to play a specific musical instrument may be influenced by several factors. Among them, a relevant role is played by beliefs about gender appropriateness of musical instruments, which may guide the choice toward instruments “for boys” or “for girls”. This would limit the range of choices available, overshadowing preferences based on aesthetic and personal tastes. Methods: the current study aims to investigate stereotypical beliefs about gender appropriateness of musical instruments among Italian primary and middle school students. An online questionnaire with close-end and open-end questions has been proposed to 370 students. Qualitative and quantitative analyses have been performed. Results: indications emerged about the presence of specific beliefs about gender appropriateness for some musical instruments. There is a tendency for both girls and boys to express a major preference for those instruments which are considered “feminine” (for girls) and “masculine” (for boys). Conclusions: Among children, there still persist some gender stereotypes about specific instruments, although these are not so strong. The gender of the participants, and not their level of education and musical experience, seems to be a discriminating factor in the appearance of such beliefs. Educators should encourage students to experiment with different musical instruments
Art · Mathematics education · Musical · Musical instrument · Visual arts · Art Education and Development · Diverse Music Education Insights · Psychology
Gender Labels and Early Sex Role Development
A Dual Identity Approach for Conceptualizing and Measuring Children's Gender Identity
Gender identity in childhood
Teachers’ Gender-Role Attitudes and Gendered Classroom Practices
The Sex-Stereotyping of Musical Instruments
Developmental stability in gender-typed preferences between infancy and preschool age
Awareness and expression of sex stereotypes in young children
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |