音楽科教育研究における教科教育学としての学問性

The purpose of this study is to argue that music education studies, especially studies in curriculum research and development, must be scientific research which has cyclical processes of verifying theory and practice each other.
To clarify research method and content in music education, contents of scholarly journals on music education in Japan and the U.S. were analyzed. In Japan, qualitative study on music educators in history, teaching material, and curriculum was the mainstream, taking historical approach or analytical approach. On the other hand, quantitative study on musical skills/cognition, methodology, and music teacher education, taking analytical or experimental approach predominated in the U.S.
In conclusion, it is proposed that research on music education in the arena of curriculum research and development should be based on a methodology as follow; (a) analyze children's musical skills or cognition, taking analytical or experimental approach in order to show children's musical development, so that through them, develop, validate, modify, and redevelop effective steps which enlarge recognition containing in music education, (b) re-examine and revaluate excellent methods/curricula of studying music, taking historical approach, then, develop curricula which meet contemporary needs, and then validate, modify, and redevelop them with practice.