Professor Oscar Odena
- Professor of Education (Educational Leadership & Policy)
- Professor of Education (School of Interdisciplinary Studies Administration)
email:
Oscar.Odena@glasgow.ac.uk
St Andrews Building, 11 Eldon Street, Glasgow, G3 6NH
Research interests
Oscar Odena is Professor of Education at the University of Glasgow, which he joined in 2013. His research expertise combines music education, creativity, professional learning and qualitative enquiry, with a focus on how music and creativity can be used as a tool for social inclusion. In the early 2000s, he researched music teachers’ perceptions of creativity in England, funded by the Catalan Government. Since 2007, with grants from The Bernard van Leer Foundation and the UK Economic and Social Research Council, he has carried out extensive fieldwork on the uses of music to alleviate tensions in post-conflict Northern Ireland and to integrate newly arrived children in Scotland. He has applied social psychology theories to investigate the transformative potential of the arts, stimulating debate about effective practice. More recently, in collaboration with Colombian and Spanish researchers, he has developed a methodology to study a music program for social reconstruction in Colombia. He has published about these topics in journals such as British Journal of Music Education and Mental Health and Social Inclusion. His edited book Musical Creativity and his monograph Musical Creativity Revisited: Educational Foundations, Practices and Research were published in 2012 and 2018. He is the Principal Investigator of a number of initiatives on the role of social arts programmes in complex settings, supported by funders such as the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He leads The Arts of Inclusion (TAI) network, www.tai.international. The impact of TAI's research beyond academia has been highlighted by the School of Education. His recent work can be found in his third book for Routledge, Music and Social Inclusion, published in 2023.
Before coming to Glasgow, and after graduating from UCL with a PhD in Music Education, he worked in music teacher education in Spain. In 2006, he took up a postdoctoral position at Queen’s University Belfast, developing new courses on music psychology and reflective practice, and working on funded research including by the TLRP ESRC. In 2009, he became a Senior Lecturer at the University of Brighton, where he co-led transnational provision at the Mauritius Institute of Education, and in 2010 became a Reader at the University of Hertfordshire, where he directed the Doctorate in Education. Over the years, he has developed expertise in international development, having worked in Africa for research initiatives funded by Atlantic Philanthropies and British Council.
Oscar is past Co-Chair of the Research Commission of the International Society for Music Education and serves on the boards of five leading subject and methodological journals. At Glasgow, he is past Director of Postgraduate Research in Education and currently serves in the review colleges of the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council and Irish Research Council.
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?hl=en&user=c81a2qEAAAAJ
Routledge Featured Author: https://www.routledge.com/authors/i20767
Publications
Selected publications
Odena, O. (Ed.) (2023) Music and Social Inclusion: International Research and Practice in Complex Settings. Series: SEMPRE studies in the psychology of music. Routledge: Abingdon, UK, and New York, NY, USA. ISBN 9781032037196 (hardback); 9781032037202 (paperback); 9781003188667 (ebook)
Odena, O. (2018) Musical Creativity Revisited: Educational Foundations, Practices and Research. Series: SEMPRE studies in the psychology of music. Routledge: London, UK, and New York, NY, USA. ISBN 9781472489753 (hardback); 9780367232078 (paperback); 9781315464619 (ebook)
Rodríguez-Sánchez, A., Odena, O. and Cabedo-Mas, A. (2018) Using life histories with sound postcards to investigate a music programme for social reconstruction in Colombia. British Journal of Music Education, 35(2), pp. 177-190. (doi: 10.1017/S0265051717000298)
Odena, O. and Burgess, H. (2017) How doctoral students and graduates describe facilitating experiences and strategies for their thesis writing learning process: a qualitative approach. Studies in Higher Education, 42(3), pp. 572-590. (doi: 10.1080/03075079.2015.1063598)
Odena, O. (2013) Using software to tell a trustworthy, convincing and useful story. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 16(5), pp. 355-372. (doi: 10.1080/13645579.2012.706019)
Odena, O. (Ed.) (2012) Musical Creativity: Insights from Music Education Research. Series: SEMPRE studies in the psychology of music. Routledge: Abingdon, UK, and New York, NY, USA. ISBN 9781409406228 (hardback); 9781138249219 (paperback); 9781409437680 (ebook PDF); 9781409495086 (ebook ePUB); 9781315596952 (ebook VitalSource, 2016); 9781317091486 (ebook PDF at T&F Group) [pp223]
All publications
Grants
Selected research and development grants:
- British Embassy La Paz: Music for Social Cohesion in Bolivia (PI, 2022-23)
- Royal Society of Edinburgh: The Arts of Inclusion-RSE Network (PI, 2019-2023)
- ESRC IAA: Wayfarers: confronting the past through history and traditional music education (Co-I, 2020-22)
- Hewlett: Evaluation of Link's school improvement programme in Malawi (Co-I, 2020-2022)
- AHRC GCRF: The Arts of Inclusion (TAI): Examining the Role of Performing Arts for Peace Education in Conflict (PI, 2019-2022)
- Scottish Funding Council: The Role of Music Practices for Peace Education in Conflict - MuPPEC (PI, 2019-2021)
- Link Community Development: Scoping and evidence review (Co-I, 2018-2019)
- ESRC SDS: 1+3 PhD studentship on lifelong learning policies supporting young adults (Co-I, 2017-2021)
- British Council: Impact evaluation of Connecting Classrooms, with Ecorys UK (Co-I, 2016-2018)
- ESRC IAA: Music education for integration (PI, 2016-2018)
- University of Glasgow Chancellor's Fund: Using music education to integrate new arrivals (PI, 2014-2016)
- Scottish Government: Research in practice: developing professional enquiry to improve outcomes for learners, with Dumfries & Galloway Council (Lead Developer at SoIS, 2014-2015)
- HEA: Enhancing feedback for academic writing across research degrees (PI, 2011-2013)
- Bernard van Leer: Music education as a tool to address inclusion and respect for diversity (PI, 2007-2010)
- Atlantic Philanthropies: Evaluation of the literacy and pro-social behaviour programmes Doodle Den and Mate-Tricks (Lead Researcher for the qualitative evaluations, 2008-2009)
- BvL and AP: Joint Learning Initiative on Children and Ethnic Diversity (Research Fellow, 2007-2009)
- AP: Evaluation of the Time to Read pupil mentoring programme (Research Fellow, 2007-2009)
- ESRC TLRP: Consulting Pupils on the Assessment of their Learning (Research Fellow, 2006-2007)
- Catalan Government: Secondary school music teachers' perceptions of creativity (PI, 2001-2003)
Supervision
Oscar is currently at supervisory capacity. Current doctoral students are being supported by the ESRC and SDS, and the governments of Mexico and Oman:
- Al Sinani, Salima: professional communities of practice amongst those responsible for teacher development in Oman
- Gascón, Valeria: space identity and longing through music playlists in Mexico City during Covid-19 lockdown
- Ge, Winn: influence of school and instrument teachers’ experiences on perceptions of musical creativity in China
- Simonen, Petri: young adult's key influencers for transition into the world-of-work in Scotland
- Ge, Xiaowen
The influence of teachers’ experiences and policy background on their perceptions of musical creativity: a qualitative study in China with primary school teachers and instrument tutors - Li, Sicong
Implementing Technology-enhanced English Language Teaching with Music at Preschools in China: Students’ Experience, Engagement and Performance
Oscar has been invited as external examiner of doctoral theses by universities in China (The Education University of Hong Kong), Ireland (Limerick), Norway (Western Norway), Portugal (Aveiro), Spain (Autonomous of Barcelona, Granada, Jaume I, Lleida) and the UK (Durham, UCL, Ulster).
Recent doctoral completions
- Wang, Luyi (2023) Social inclusion through music education in China? A case study of a secondary school in Fujian Province (PhD thesis, University of Glasgow)
- Zhu, Yinshu (2021) Teachers' perspectives on improving educational inclusion through the performing arts: a qualitative study of primary schools in Shenzhen (PhD, University of Glasgow, with I. Alves)
- McMullan, Kirsten (2021) Systems, symbols and identity: an exploration of the construction of national identities in Czech schools through educational policies and practices from 1989-2014 (PhD, University of Glasgow, with J. Čulík) - funded with a Josef Fronek PG Scholarship
- de Britos, Angela (2020) Nurturing bilingual children: the voice of Spanish-speaking families in the West of Scotland (PhD, University of Glasgow, with O. Valiente)
- Kim, Hanah (2020) Creativity and wellbeing in music education – philosophy, policy and practice in the context of contemporary Scottish primary education (PhD, University of Glasgow, with R. Davis)
- Puspitasari, Maya (2020) Investigating the washback effect of the national examination on Indonesian practices: perceptions of teachers, students and parents of test impact (PhD, University of Glasgow, with L. Hayward) - funded by the Indonesian Directorate General of Higher Education
- Scharf, Jenny (2019) Music education in Northern Ireland 1920-2017: from there to here to where? (PhD, University of Glasgow)
- Start, Liz (2019) Creative, arts-inspired tasks for critical intercultural communication pedagogy at a German university (PhD, University of Glasgow, with D. Elliot)
- Pierquin, Martine (2019) Tutors' perceptions of the purpose and significance of film education in a lifelong learning programme at a British university (EdD, University of Glasgow, with P. Enslin)
- Sulaiman, Nor Ain (2019) An investigation of student teacher development in pre-service English language teacher education in Malaysia (PhD, University of Glasgow, with M. Murphy) - funded by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia
- Uflewska, Kasia (2018) From nowhere to now-here: online and offline belonging identity negotiations of millennial Poles in Glasgow, Scotland (PhD, University of Glasgow, with M. Schweisfurth) - funded by the UofG College of Social Sciences
- Cavani, Jane (2017) ‘Do you ever get this feeling…?’ University teacher narratives from a research-led university (EdD, University of Glasgow, with N. Hedge) - joint winner of the 2019 BELMAS Thesis Award
- Arunasalam, Nirmala (2013) A Defining Moment: Malaysian Nurses' Perspectives of Transnational Higher Education (EdD, University of Hertfordshire, with M. Thornton and B. Connors)
- Messenger, Hazel (2013) The Creation of Transformative Learning Cultures in Higher Education (EdD, University of Hertfordshire, with M. Thornton)
Recent doctoral examinations
- Rinde, F. B. (2023) Inclusive socio-musical spaces: An ethnographic case study of newly arrived migrant children's musical engagement in a Norwegian primary school (PhD, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway)
- Small, J. (2022) The misfit of music in a higher education government institute for Emirati women: An ethnographic study exploring the pursuit of music as an activity in a conventional Islamic setting (Doctor of Education, Durham University, UK)
- McQueen, P. (2022) Empowering music teachers to teach composition skills through the use of music technology: a study of post-primary music teachers in Northern Ireland (PhD, Ulster University, UK)
- Navarro Ramón, L. (2022) La improvisación musical como facilitadora de los procesos creativos en Educación Musical en alumnado de 8 a 11 años (PhD, University of Granada, Spain)
- Makris, S. (2019) Approaches to creativity by Cypriot primary music teachers (PhD, University College London, UK)
- Poulter, S. V. (2019) Generalist student teachers' experiences of the role of music in supporting children's phonological development (Doctor in Education, University College London, UK)
- Getino, J. (2018) Els compositors entren a l'aula. Estudio de la intervención del compositor en el proceso de creación musical en la etapa de primaria (PhD, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain)
- Wiles, M. A. (2017) A Phenomenographic Approach to Understanding Taiwanese Music Teachers' Experiences of Creativity in the Classroom (Doctor of Education, Durham University, UK)
- Turner, K. L. (2017) Singing Our Way: Interrogating the Role of the Community Musician in a Process of Social Regeneration using an Arts Practice Research Approach (PhD Arts Practice, University of Limerick, Ireland)
- Campayo Muñoz, E. Á. (2017) El desarrollo de las competencias emocionales como herramienta para la mejora de la interpretación musical en las enseñanzas de música en conservatorios (PhD in Education, Jaume I University, Spain)
- Zheng, Y. (2017) Creativity in Piano Performance and Pedagogy: A Chinese Perspective (PhD, The Education University of Hong Kong)
- Masdeu Yélamos, E. (2015) The Digitalisation of Music Classrooms in Schools in Catalonia: Study of and Proposal for a General Framework for Integrating Technology in Music Education (PhD in Education, Society and Quality of Life, University of Lleida, Spain)
- Veloso, A. L. S. (2012) Voar até ao Comboio dos Segredos: A Construção de Significados Partilhados no Desenvolvimento do Pensamento Musical em Crianças do 1º Ciclo do EB (PhD in Music, Aveiro University, Portugal)
Teaching
Oscar contributes research methods seminars and supervision across a number of programmes within the College of Social Sciences and at Glasgow College, UESTC, China. In recent years these programmes have included, in alphabetical order:
- Doctorate in Education (School of Education)
- EdD Dissertation
- International Summer School (Glasgow College, UESTC)
- Aesthetic Experience: The Neuroscience of Music Appreciation, Convenor
- MA Primary Education (School of Interdisciplinary Studies)
- Honours Dissertation
- MSc Education, Public Policy & Equity (School of Education)
- Policy Enquiry and Decision Making
- MSc Enhanced Practice in Education (School of Interdisciplinary Studies)
- Reflective Practice, Convenor
Additional information
Journal Editorships
- Editorial Board Member British Journal of Music Education (Cambridge University Press)
- Editorial Board Member International Journal of Social Research Methodology (Routledge)
- Editorial Board Member Journal for the Study of Education and Development / Infancia y Aprendizaje (Routledge)
- Editorial Board Member Journal of the Musical Arts in Africa (Routledge)
- Editorial Board Member Research Studies in Music Education (Sage)
- Former Co-Editor Educate~ (2001-2003), former Editorial Board Member International Journal of Music Education (2004-2014), Revista Electrónica Complutense de Investigación en Educación Musical (2006-2014), Revista Internacional de Educación Musical (2012-2015), and former Review Editor Frontiers in Psychology - Educational Psychology (2014-2017).
Academic and Professional Membership
- British Educational Research Association (BERA)
- Higher Education Academy (HEA) - Fellow
- International Society for Music Education (ISME)
- Scottish Association for Music Education (SAME)
- Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (SEMPRE)
Consulting and Advice
Oscar has been a Visiting Scholar at universities in Spain including Autonomous (Barcelona), Complutense (Madrid) and Jaume I (Castelló), and at Bologna Conservatory, Italy. He has delivered keynotes and seminars for researchers, policymakers and practitioners around the world. This has included for the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute and the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. He has contributed to the Social Theory Applied and DoctoralWriting websites and was the External Examiner for the Doctor of Education programme at Durham until 2022.