Qualitative research has become increasingly popular in music education over the last decade, yet there is no source that explains the terms, approaches and issues associated with this approach. In The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research in American Music Education, editor Colleen Conway and the contributing music educators provide that clarification, as well as models of qualitative studies within various music education disciplines. The handbook outlines the history of qualitative research in American music education and explores the contemporary use of qualitative approaches in examining issues related to music teaching and learning. It includes 32 chapters that address a range of topics, from ways of approaching qualitative research and ways of collecting and analyzing data, to the various music teaching and learning contexts that have been studied using qualitative approaches. The final section of the book tackles permission to conduct research, teaching qualitative research, publishing qualitative research, and provides direction for the future. An ambitious and much-needed volume, this handbook will stand as a key resource for drawing meaning from the experiences of students and teachers in music classrooms and communities both in America and in other countries.

1 - Introduction. Colleen ConwayPart One: Defining Qualitative Research in American Music Education2- Qualitative Research in Music Education: Concepts, Goals, and Characteristics. Koji Matsunobu and Liora Bresler3 - History of Qualitative Research American Music Education. Colleen Conway and Chad West4 - Epistemology and Qualitative Research in Music Education. Randall Allsup5 - Theoretical Frameworks in Music Education Qualitative Research. John Scheib6 - Changing the Conversation: Considering Quality in Music Education Qualitative Research. Mitchell RobinsonPart Two: Variety in Qualitative Approaches in Music Education7 - Case Study Research in Music Education. Janet Barrett8 - Ethnographic Research in Music Education. Patti Krueger9 - Phenomenological Research in Music Education. Ryan Hourigan and Scott Edgar10 - Narrative Inquiry in Music Education. Sandra Stauffer11 - Practitioner Inquiry in Music Education. Janet Robbins12 - Use of Qualitative Research Within Mixed Methods Designs. Kate FitzpatrickPart Three: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis in Music Education13 - Collecting and Analyzing Observation of Music Teaching and Learning Data. Margaret Schmidt14 - Conducting and Analyzing Individual Interviews. Kathryn Roulston15 - Conducting and Analyzing Focus Group Interview Data. John Eros16 - Collecting, Generating, and Analyzing Multimodal and Multimedia Data: From Journals to Video Recordings. Evan Tobias17 - Uses of Technology in Music Education Qualitative Research. Peter Webster18 - Music-Making as Data: Collection and Analysis. Kristen PellegrinoPart Four: Qualitative Research Within Selected Areas of Music Education19 - Early Childhood Music Education. Alison Reynolds20 - General Music. Ann Marie Stanley21- Instrumental Music. Chad West22 - Instrumental Music. Margaret Berg23 - Choral Music. Bridget Sweet24 - Critical Analysis of Qualitative Research on Learning to Teach Music In Preservice Music Teacher Education. Mark Campbell and Linda Thompson25 - Music Teacher Professional Development. Colleen Conway and Scott Edgar26 - Adult and Community Music Education. Nathan Kruse and Erin Hansen27 - Qualitative Research Examining Students with Exceptionalities in Music Education. Ryan Hourigan28 - Qualitative Research to Examine Underserved Populations. Bruce Carter29 - World Music in the Music Education Classroom. Yiannis MiralisPart Five: Ethics, Publishing and the Future of Qualitative Research in Music Education30 - Ethics and Qualitative Research in Music Education. Judy Birk and Cynthia Shindledecker31 - The Politics of Publication: Voices, Venues and Ethics. Mitchell Robinson32 - Qualitative Research Experientially and Aesthetically. Liora Bresler33 - Future Possibilities for Qualitative Research in Music Education. Janet Barrett