Res. Assist. Dr. Gözde Özenç İra, working in the Department of Primary Education at Hacettepe University, has been awarded postdoctoral research support as part of the University of Cologne's Innovative Tandem Collaborations 2025 program.
Dr. Özenç İra will lead the project titled “Inclusive Pedagogy in Music Education: A Comparison of the Perspectives of Teachers across Primary and Special Education Schools in Germany and Türkiye” from February 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026, in collaboration with Dr. Theresa Stommel from the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation and Dr. Lukas Bugiel from the Department of Music and Arts at the University of Cologne.
The project aims to explore inclusive pedagogy in music education by comparing how teachers in primary and special education schools in Germany and Turkey perceive and apply inclusive pedagogy in the context of children with immigrant backgrounds and those diagnosed with specific learning difficulties. This study will focus on how teachers in Cologne and Ankara foster social inclusion and participation in music teaching for disadvantaged students, how their pedagogical decisions shape educational justice, and how these insights can guide future music teaching practices. The project aims to offer practical recommendations for primary school music education and inform music and primary teacher training systems in an international context. The findings of the project will be disseminated through publications in international peer-reviewed journals, participation in international educational conferences, and workshops conducted at both Hacettepe University and the University of Cologne. These workshops will involve primary school music teachers and teacher candidates. The project will conclude with the SALON event at the University of Cologne.
The Innovative Tandem Collaborations program, run by the University of Cologne's Center for International Forum (CIF), aims to strengthen international collaboration among researchers and contribute to innovative work in the field of education. Dr. Özenç İra’s work on this project will further deepen the educational collaboration between Turkey and Germany, helping to establish valuable connections between the two countries.
For more information about the project, please visit the following link.