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Fleischaker-DISSERTATION-050721.pdf (2.3 MB)

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Culturally Responsive Music Education: Conceptual and Practical Approaches of Elementary General Music Teachers

Fleischaker, Rachael Lynn
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1620832759515162

Abstract Details

2021, PHD, Kent State University, College of the Arts / School of Music, Hugh A. Glauser.
Calls for reform in music education have been mounting in the United States as student demographics become more diverse, but ethnic, racial, and economic identities of teachers remain constant (Gay, 2018; Ladson-Billings, 2014; Lind & McKoy, 2016). Rising tensions and appeals for more social equity in public institutions demand a reexamination of context and content in music classes. Culturally responsive music education (CRME) is the practice of recognizing, understanding, and incorporating cultural characteristics of students into the pedagogy and curriculum of music classes. Goals and methods of this practice focus on creating comprehensive musical experiences, celebrating diversity, and empowering students to incorporate cultural knowledge in their musical learning. While CRME is applicable to all music teachers, music classes are often compulsory at the elementary level (Bradley, 2007; OAAE, 2018) increasing the need for elementary music teachers to understand how culture interconnects with learning (Abril, 2009; Kelly, 2003; Doyle, 2012b). The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the beliefs and practices of elementary music teachers who consistently and successfully utilize CRME in general music settings. This investigation was guided by three research questions: (1) What contextual knowledge do successful elementary general music teachers hold about their students and communities in which they teach? (2) How do elementary general music teachers gain the skills and knowledge necessary to understand culturally responsive practices? and (3) What processes are involved in conceptualizing and actualizing culturally responsive practices in general music classrooms? This qualitative multiple case study design involved six elementary general music teachers from across a mid-western state. Participants were selected through criterion sampling with an emphasis on maximum variation. Data was collected over the course of nine months from multiple sources, including individual interviews, observations during site visits, focus group interviews, directed journaling, and artifacts gathered while at the schools. Member checks and peer debriefing were utilized to represent participants’ voices as authentically as possible. An inductive analysis revealed themes such as cultural identity, musical life, teaching situations, opportunities, and challenges which contributed to the formation of teachers’ conceptual understandings and practical applications of CRME. A cross-case analysis (Stake, 2006) was used to define commonalities between and across cases and to determine how cultural competency, critical conscious, and academic achievement were embedded in each case. A discussion of emergent themes, such as identifying culture in music education contexts, examining power dynamics, taking risks, and building resiliency, explored how CRME can be successfully utilized. This study offers insight into the diverse experiences of music teachers, cultural perceptions within individual classrooms, and descriptions of how culturally responsive teaching can be implemented in elementary general music settings. Findings and discussion offer progressive direction to the music education community with resources and ideas for defining and employing culturally responsive music education.
Craig Resta (Committee Chair)
360 p.
Music Education
Culturally responsive music education; cultural competence; musical achievement; critical consciousness; critical theory; elementary general music; culturally responsive teaching; culturally relevant pedagogy

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Fleischaker, R. L. (2021). Culturally Responsive Music Education: Conceptual and Practical Approaches of Elementary General Music Teachers [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1620832759515162

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Fleischaker, Rachael. Culturally Responsive Music Education: Conceptual and Practical Approaches of Elementary General Music Teachers. 2021. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1620832759515162.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Fleischaker, Rachael. "Culturally Responsive Music Education: Conceptual and Practical Approaches of Elementary General Music Teachers." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1620832759515162

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1620832759515162
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© 2021, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.