The research aim: to carry out the comprehensive analysis of the professional training of masters in Music Therapy at universities of the USA, to determine and substantiate the directions for the implementation of constructive ideas of the American experience into the system of higher education of Ukraine.
The research objectives: 1) perform the analysis and justify the theoretical and methodological foundations of the professional training of Music Therapy specialists; 2) to analyze the content of the professional training of masters of Music Therapy through the prism of the requirements of American society; 3) to characterize the organizational forms and teaching methods, as well as to study the specifics of the practical component of the professional training of masters in Music Therapy; 4) on the basis of a comparison of the experience of two countries, to determine and substantiate the directions for the introduction of constructive ideas of the American experience into the higher education system of Ukraine.
The university education of the USA is the research object.
The peculiarities of professional training of masters in Music Therapy are the research subject.
The research methods: descriptive, comparative, induction, deduction, analytical method, logical method, historical method, prognostic method, the method of content analysis.
For the first time the comprehensive analysis of the professional training of masters in Music Therapy at US universities was performed; the theoretical and methodological foundations of the professional training of music therapy specialists were analysed and substantiated (behaviourism, cognitive constructivism, social constructivism, connectivism; methodological approaches: competency-based, activity-based, personality-oriented, cultural, interdisciplinary, integrative); the content of professional training of masters in Music Therapy, which is practically oriented and aimed at the development of the ability to: carry out client diagnostics; integrate knowledge about the cultural diversity of clients; jointly develop an effective and clear support plan through diagnosis of customer needs, selection of measures; use knowledge and resources to organize therapeutic care; communicate; maintain clinical documentation, etc. was analysed; the organizational forms (interactive lectures, seminars, educational conferences, research training, trainings, etc.) and teaching methods (reverse brainstorming, concept mapping, collaborative learning, service-learning, problem-based learning, distributed learning, project-based learning, etc.) were characterised; the specifics of the practical component of the professional training of masters in Music Therapy was studied; on the basis of a comparison of the experience of two countries, directions for the implementation of constructive ideas of the American experience into the system of higher education of Ukraine at the strategic, organizational, methodical, research levels were defined and justified. The content of concepts “Music Therapy”, “music therapist”, “Music Therapy curriculum” were clarified. The comprehension of the concepts in the field of higher Music Therapy education, master's training as well as features of masters in Music Therapy theoretical and practical training organisation were improved and expanded. The theses on the organization of master’s training in Music Therapy in accordance with modern theories and substantiated methodological approaches were further developed.
