Implementing multicultural music in elementary general music education
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
There is a limited body of research that focuses on music teachers’ undergraduate and outside of undergraduate preparation to teach multicultural music. To inform multicultural music teacher education, I examined two elementary general music teachers’ preparation to teach multicultural music and the effect of that preparation on their pedagogical decisions. Stella, who teaches in an urban public school, and Kelly, in an affluent suburban private school, were participants in this study. Each took part in individual 45-minute, video- and audio-recorded semi-structured interviews and provided me with curriculum documents. Data collected were interview transcripts, curriculum documents, and my researcher’s journal. I analyzed each data source to gain a full picture of why and how Stella and Kelly implement multicultural music in their curricula as well as their preparation to do so. Findings for Stella were cultural understanding, time, authenticity, and comfort. Findings for Kelly were inclusivity, school climate, and authenticity. A comparison of the two music teachers indicated that both implement multicultural music for extra-musical and musical reasons, value authenticity in the music and resources they implement, had contrasting undergraduate preparation to teach multicultural music, and differing curriculum documents. Conclusions from this research can inform music teacher educators and professional development providers who deliver multicultural music education to inservice and preservice music teachers.
Description
Keywords
Multicultural music education, Music teacher preparation, Music teachers, World music