The annual growth in Music Therapy in Education research publications (shown in Figure 2) demonstrates a consistent upward trajectory, increasing from 30 articles in 2004 to 182 in 2024. The significant acceleration in publication volume post-2015 likely reflects enhanced institutional support and a growing acknowledgment of music therapy’s impact on student outcomes.

The impact and productivity of scientific sources in Music Therapy in Education research are assessed through key bibliometric indicators such as the number of publications (NP), total citations (TC), and h-index.

Table 3 highlights the most influential journals contributing to the field, providing a comprehensive overview of the primary platforms shaping current discourse. These metrics collectively offer insights into the journals’ ability to disseminate impactful research and sustain academic relevance over time.

Among the top sources, the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders stands out with the highest total citations. Music Therapy Perspectives and the Journal of Music Therapy also demonstrate substantial influence. Additionally, interdisciplinary journals like Plos One and Frontiers in Psychology indicate the field’s expanding reach and integration with broader psychological and community music research.

Despite the presence of highly cited journals, the data reveals a concentration of impactful work within a limited number of sources. A large portion of the 937 sources contributing only a single publication and a notable number receiving no citations. The emergence of 105 new sources in 2023 onwards suggests growing diversification.

The number of publications from affiliation is a crucial metric to gauge its academic influence and contribution to Music Therapy in Education research. Figure 3 highlights the leading institutions, with the top 10 affiliations collectively accounting for a significant portion of the research output. Institutional names were standardized to merge duplicates (e.g., ‘University of Melbourne’ and ‘The University of Melbourne’) and aggregated by system when applicable (e.g., University of Minnesota System) Notably, universities from diverse geographical regions, including North America, Asia, and Africa, demonstrate substantial involvement, reflecting the global interest and varied perspectives contributing to the field’s advancement.

Despite the prominent contributions from these key institutions, the data reveals that most affiliations have limited engagement, with nearly half contributing only to a single publication. Enhancing collaboration and supporting a wider range of institutions could foster a more inclusive and comprehensive development of music therapy practices in educational settings (Figure 4).

In this section, each document is attributed to the country of its primary author, ensuring that every document is associated with just one country. This method facilitates the calculation of Single Country Publications (SCP) and Multiple Country Publications (MCP) metrics, along with the Total Citation (TC), number of publications, and frequency appearance in all literature. The MCP ratio further refines our understanding of collaboration levels among countries. Additionally, this section delves into the total citation counts for each nation, as detailed in Table 5.

The United States remains the foremost contributor, demonstrating both high productivity and substantial citation impact. Other significant contributors include China, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Notably, countries like Italy and the United Kingdom show higher MCP percentages.

Despite the strong contributions from these leading nations, the data reveals that the majority of countries engage primarily in single-country publications, with limited international collaboration. Furthermore, while most countries have made multiple contributions, a significant number still have minimal participation, highlighting disparities in research resources and collaborative networks.

This section examines the international collaboration dynamics within Music Therapy in Education research, highlighting the patterns of co-authorship between countries, as shown in Table 4. The collaboration network is predominantly centered around a few key partnerships, with the USA and the United Kingdom leading the way through extensive joint publications. Strong ties also exist between the USA and Australia, as well as the USA and Canada, reflecting a significant concentration of collaborative efforts among these nations. Additionally, European countries such as Germany, Italy, and Spain demonstrate notable collaborative relationships, often interconnected with the United Kingdom and Australia, suggesting regional clusters of cooperative research.

Despite these active partnerships, the overall level of international collaboration remains relatively limited, with most country pairs engaging in only a handful of joint publications. Furthermore, the emergence of collaborations involving countries like China, India, and Brazil indicates gradual expansion, yet these remain sparse compared to established partnerships.

This section uses author keywords to reveal significant trends in Music Therapy in Education research. The Timeline Bubble Plot, illustrated in Figure 5, highlights shifts in focus, with early studies focusing on foundational themes like music therapy and education. Over time, specialised topics such as mental health, anxiety, and dementia emerged, reflecting the field’s growth in addressing psychological and developmental challenges.

From 2015 onwards, core themes like “music therapy” and “music” remained prominent, while emerging topics like “virtual reality,” “creativity,” and “randomised controlled trial” signal the integration of innovative methodologies. The rise of “covid-19” highlights responsiveness to global health crises, alongside increasing focus on holistic and evidence-based mental health and education approaches.

This section uses Keywords Plus with Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) to identify thematic clusters in Music Therapy in Education research, illustrated in Figure 6. Six clusters emerge, with Cluster 1 focusing on foundational concepts like “music therapy” and “psychology,” Cluster 2 addressing demographic and methodological aspects such as “female,” “male,” and “controlled study,” and Cluster 3 highlighting the intersection of “music” and “education.”

Clusters 5 and 6 focus on health-related themes, including conditions like “anxiety,” “dementia,” and “pain,” as well as broader topics like “quality of life” and therapeutic interventions such as “psychotherapy.” Cluster 4, represented by “therapy,” is a central link between various therapeutic approaches.

This section analyses abstracts and titles using Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques (Altarturi et al., 2023b), focusing on bigrams and co-occurrence patterns to uncover key research themes in Music Therapy in Education. The Walktrap clustering algorithm identifies six thematic clusters, highlighting interconnected concepts and revealing research strengths and gaps, as shown in Figure 7.

Cluster 1 focuses on foundational elements like “music therapy” and “psychology,” while Cluster 2 addresses demographics and methodologies such as “controlled study.” Cluster 3 emphasises the role of “music” in “education,” and Clusters 5 and 6 explore health themes like “anxiety” and “pain management,” showcasing music therapy’s application in diverse health contexts.

One of the important models focuses on students’ growth and development in skills through music. Music education fosters cognitive development by enhancing perception, learning, and memory skills. It also supports emotional growth by allowing students to express and manage emotions through music (Hargreaves and Lamont, 2017). For example, the Sequential Development model outlines several steps, such as personal connections and growth. The student who engages with music while learning a particular skill will develop that skill more effectively (Dvorak et al., 2017).

Environmental influences on the students are considered in the Ecological model, using theories like Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological systems theory. This is the immediate environment where students interact directly, such as family, school, and peers. Teachers and parents play a crucial role in this system by providing direct support and creating a nurturing environment (Khairul Amali et al., 2023). The relationship between home and school enables collaboration and communication between teachers and parents for the benefit of the children. Moreover, a comprehensive framework between home, school, community, and virtual support can optimise students’ learning experiences (Olson et al., 2023).

Another model is Community Music Therapy (CoMT), which emphasises social interaction and community involvement. These models are encouraged to be used in communities like schools, as CoMT can help students with social challenges by involving them in group music activities, fostering social skills, and building relationships. Some studies show that CoMT children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) particularly benefit from social interaction in comparison with traditional music education (Wang and Zhang, 2023). Other studies indicated that CoMT is linked to critical theory and conflict transformation, which is beneficial in school settings to promote harmony among students (Hassanein, 2023).

Neurological models demonstrate that music therapy stimulates brain areas linked to language, memory, and emotion, improving cognitive functions and brain connectivity in students with disabilities or ADHD. This approach allows for tailored interventions that enhance learning outcomes (Lai et al., 2023).

Integrative models combine elements from various theories, such as the Biopsychosocial Model, addressing biological, psychological, and social factors. In education, these models enhance learning outcomes by connecting language skills, content, culture, and technology (Qizi, 2024).

Music therapy offers a safe and creative outlet for emotional expression, enhancing emotional intelligence and reducing behavioral issues in the classroom (Wang et al., 2022). It effectively manages anxiety, depression, and trauma, thereby improving overall well-being and quality of life, as evidenced by significant reductions in psychological distress and improved mood regulation in structured programs (Chen et al., 2024).

Music therapy enhances attention, concentration, and executive functions, particularly benefiting students with ADHD by reducing hyperactivity and improving focus (Lee et al., 2024). Additionally, it improves memory retention and recall by engaging both hemispheres of the brain, supporting learning in subjects like mathematics and language arts, and fostering creativity and critical thinking skills (Kousloglou et al., 2023; Nabila et al., 2024).

Music therapy cultivates social skills and empathy through group activities such as composition and improvisation, promoting pro-social behaviors and emotional expression (Silke et al., 2024). It also boosts self-esteem and confidence, particularly in children with ADHD and other disabilities, fostering a growth mindset and motivation to face challenges (Sholeh and Supena, 2021).

Integrating music therapy into school curricula requires close collaboration between educators and certified music therapists, along with tailored interventions and professional development for teachers (Marcos Treceño and Arias Gago, 2024). Technological integration enhances accessibility and engagement, while supportive school environments and dedicated spaces for music activities significantly improve students’ academic performance and emotional health (Ahmed and Mohammed, 2024).

Personalised music interventions aligned with students’ Individualised Education Program (IEP) goals improve communication, social skills, and emotional expression in conditions like ASD and ADHD. Music therapy enhances emotional management and social development (Marcos Treceño and Arias Gago, 2024).

Group music therapy significantly enhances social Group settings foster social interaction, emotional health, and empathy. These sessions enhance social skills for children with ASD and adolescents with depression (Choi and Kirby, 2023). Improve interpersonal relationships and self-expression, and facilitate group music-making that leads to notable social development gains.

Integrating music into daily routines supports emotional regulation, encourages positive behaviors, and refines classroom dynamics. Techniques like Musical Contour Regulation Facilitation (MCRF) aid emotion regulation in early childhood (Sena Moore and Hanson-Abromeit, 2015). Coordinated rhythmic movements improve focus, self-regulation, and overall classroom behavior (Williams, 2018).

Embedding music therapy within academic subjects like language arts, math, and science creates holistic learning experiences and enhances student engagement. This interdisciplinary approach promotes critical and creative thinking skills necessary for 21st-century learners (Kuwar and Acharya, 2024). In math, music integration improves cognitive and motor skills (Souto, 2024). Educational music therapy advances inclusion, emotional management, and social development, ultimately improving learning outcomes (Marcos Treceño and Arias Gago, 2024).

Training in music therapy techniques empowers educators to create inclusive and supportive classrooms, ensuring effective application of music-based interventions (Li, 2024). Comprehensive professional development, including hands-on training and innovative tools like virtual reality, enhances teachers’ technical and pedagogical competence, addressing challenges such as limited resources (Elhambakhsh et al., 2024).

For Teachers: Findings highlight strong evidence linking music therapy to improved focus, emotional regulation, and inclusion, especially for learners with ADHD, autism, and anxiety. To improve engagement and classroom well-being, teachers should use structured musical interventions and work with certified therapists.

The dominance of single-publication institutions indicates limited long-term engagement. Schools should establish sustained collaborations with universities and allocate dedicated spaces, time, and resources to embed music therapy consistently within curricula.

Low international collaboration (6.18%) and Western research dominance suggest inequities in access and perspective. Policymakers should fund cross-cultural programs, enforce therapist certification standards, and include music therapy in national education and mental-health frameworks.

Subsequent research should amalgamate models such as CoMT, NMT, and Dalcroze, utilize longitudinal methodologies, and investigate virtual and data-driven therapeutic instruments to enhance theoretical and practical coherence.