Review of school songs in middle school music course books

This study investigates the distribution of school songs included in middle school music textbooks in terms of grade level, type, thematic content, and musical texture. The research was conducted using the document analysis method, one of the qualitative research techniques. The population of the study consists of school songs featured in middle school music textbooks published by the Turkish Ministry of National Education during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 academic years. The sample includes a total of 124 songs, selected through purposive sampling; among these, 72 are compositions with known composers. During the data collection process, the relevant textbooks were systematically examined, and the qualitative data obtained were analyzed using content analysis. The findings were interpreted based on frequency and percentage distributions. According to the research findings, the distribution of school songs varies by grade level, with the highest number of songs found in the 7th-grade music textbook. In terms of song types, the most frequently represented category was "Turkish School Songs." Thematic analysis revealed that a significant portion of the songs centered around the theme of "National Values." From a musical texture perspective, it was concluded that the majority of the compositions were written in a thin and sparse texture. Based on these findings, the study presents several recommendations for future research in the field of educational music.