Mental Health in Future Primary School Teachers: Music as a Perfect Ally

Abstract

Introduction. Following the current concern about students' mental health and bullying, it was decided to start this research with a group of student teachers. The research question is: can music be an appropriate tool to combat and improve mental health generated by toxic environments in educational settings? Material/method. A qualitative methodology was used with the online questionnaire tool for data collection. And a sample of 36 students of the teaching degree. Results. The perception that students, future primary school teachers, have regarding music education is surprising in that only 47% give it much importance. When asked about the relationship between the benefits of music and mental health, more than 70% of students think that music is very beneficial. While the relationship between the benefits of music and bullying, the perception that music is very important is 60%. Conclusion. In conclusion, first of all, the research question has been answered, although it is acknowledged that higher values were expected. Music education, although not a highly valued subject by future primary school teachers, is considered a good resource for improving students' mental health. The musical genres that future teachers usually listen to range from pop to reggaeton, so it is not surprising that music is suffering a deterioration as an art and as a culture, and both teachers and students have limited musical preferences and knowledge.