Students’ Perceptions of Music Education in the State Conservatories of Minas Gerais: The Relationship between Inclusive Pedagogical Practices and Digital Technologies

Abstract

The article analyzes students’ perceptions of music education in 12 State Music Conservatories in Minas Gerais, focusing on inclusive pedagogical practices and the use of digital technologies. The study used an in-person questionnaire grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), with 635 valid responses from students aged over 12 years. After reducing the instrument through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to 24 items organized into two dimensions—Inclusive Music Education (Formação Musical Inclusiva, FMI) and Digital Technologies in Music Education (Tecnologias Digitais na Formação em Música, TDFM)—data were examined using descriptive statistics and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Results indicate more positive evaluations in the FMI dimension, highlighting the appreciation of Brazilian cultural diversity, experiences beyond score-based learning, and collaborative, belonging-oriented practices. In contrast, TDFM appears limited, with little presence of technologies to support learning difficulties, monitor progress, personalize goals, and provide formative feedback. The study concludes that conservatories are undergoing a transition in which they are flexibilizing traditional practices toward greater equity, but still lack a technological ecosystem capable of sustaining personalization and inclusion more consistently.