Music teachers’ perceptions of intercultural competence in Spain

Intercultural competence is essential in schools attended by students of different ethnicities, cultures, and religions. A number of studies have suggested that music facilitates the transmission of values and emotions inherent in intercultural competence. The role of teachers is considered essential as well. Thus, it is important to consider music teachers’ perceptions on intercultural competence. This study drew out the perceptions of 74 teachers delivering music teaching in primary and secondary schools, conservatories, and music schools in Spain. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. A content validity index of 0.92 was obtained after considering the judgments of 19 experts in the fields of research and practice in music education. The teachers’ responses were analyzed using NVivo (11). The findings highlighted the positive perceptions of the benefits of intercultural competence in students. Aspects such as the lack of training, the requirement to teach a planned/structured curriculum and the shortage of advisors on the subject, emerged as negative perceptions communicated by the teachers.