Music education for future teachers: communication through visual art in the evaluative tool portfolio

Abstract

This article examines the role of the digital portfolio as a reflective tool for promoting visual and communicative art in the study of music didactics for future teachers. At the end of the academic year, students present their portfolio, which include reflections and graphic representations. The study analyses the portfolios of 90 students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education at University of Barcelona. The findings highlight that graphic resources are used as a means of communication, supporting teaching, and learning processes in music education. Various types of graphic resources are employed, and art contributes to both the personal and professional development of students. We conclude that arts-based methods are a powerful communication tool and, in the context analyzed, they foster students’ recognition, reflection, and the development of cognitive and linguistic abilities related to music practice and its didactics.