Creating unity through celebrating diversity: A case study that explores the impact of music education on refugee background students

This article reports the findings of a case study that investigated the impact of music education on students in an F-12 school in Victoria, Australia that is considered as having a high percentage of young people with a refugee background. Key findings from this research indicated that music education had a positive impact on this group of young refugee students, which related to three primary themes: fostering a sense of wellbeing, social inclusion (a sense of belonging), and an enhanced engagement with learning. While some of these impacts were not always clearly distinguished from the more general experience of school, the students did identify some best practice elements of music learning and teaching that link to these three themes in a number of interrelated contexts. This research raises important questions about the ways in which education might be approached in schools with a high percentage of refugee background students and reaffirms the necessity of music and the arts as an important component.