Exploring characteristics of primary qualitative Dalcroze research: building bridges between past trends and future directions

This meta-synthesis explores the characteristics of primary qualitative research in Dalcroze studies, written in English, to recommend future directions for qualitative Dalcroze research. The data comprised the qualitative findings of 51 published primary studies, focusing on Dalcroze or Eurhythmics-based research. The findings reveal the characteristics of the studies in relation to research approaches and the phenomena under investigation; research questions and purpose; participants, contexts and sampling methods; methods of data collection and analysis; and research ethics. This study also highlights where research is being carried out and a steep growth in qualitative Dalcroze research since the early 2010s. The authors recommend that to attain high quality, future research should focus on: coherence between the title, purpose and research question; the quality of the collected or generated data; the rootedness of the findings in the data; the way themes are named; resonance; and practical implications and accessible dissemination. Opportunities for innovation regarding choice of participants, research contexts and strategies of inquiry are also noted.