Music is a field that is very popular with students with special needs, because they can experience joy, sadness, and other aesthetic experiences through musical activities. Music is also a medium which helps students acquire learning strategies that help them overcome everyday obstacles. Additionally, musical activities positively influence the confidence and socialization of students with mild, moderate, and severe intellectual deficits. This Master's thesis focuses on studying musical activities for students with mild intellectual disability in primary school with an adapted program of studies with a lower educational standard in the first educational period. In this program music is taught by music pedagogues or special and rehabilitation teachers. The empirical part of the thesis uses a questionnaire to examine the proportion of professionals in both profiles within the program, the presence of strategies, and methods and approaches to music teaching for students with mild intellectual disability in the first educational period. Thirty-eight teachers of music from all Slovenian primary schools with an adapted program of studies with a lower educational standard participated in our research. We explored the challenges music teachers encounter in music teaching and what characteristics of students with intellectual disabilities are most evident in music lessons. We checked to which musical activities the teachers teaching music attach a greater role and significance. We also studied the opinion of the teachers of both profiles about their competencies for teaching this group of students and their professional qualifications, especially in the field of vocal technique and voice care. We were also interested in the amount of their additional education in the music field. We used a causal-nonexperimental and descriptive method. The research was based on a quantitative and qualitative research approach. We developed guidelines and tips for music teaching for students with mild intellectual disabilities based on the results. We also provided voice care recommendations for teachers.
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