Examining Cultural Identity in Secondary Music Classrooms: Perceptions of Teachers and Students

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of secondary-level music teachers and students when teachers implemented cultural identity affirming activities for their culturally diverse students. The method of this qualitative study was a phenomenological interview design. Teachers ( n = 2) and students ( n = 6) were selected from a racially diverse suburban area in the Southern United States. Participants recounted their past and present musical and cultural backgrounds to provide insight into how these identities are represented in their music classrooms. Data were collected an in-depth interview series where “meaning-making” was studied through recounting the lived human experience. Interview transcripts were analyzed to understand how participants aimed to respect cultural identities in the music classroom, while also identifying any power imbalances that could hinder these efforts. Findings revealed that teachers’ own cultural background affected their pedagogical decisions and how they provided culturally responsive music experiences for their students. Students shared the kinds of musical experiences they expected in their music classroom and how their cultural identities were being acknowledged in their music experiences. Students recognized culturally responsive environments when student input in programmed music was respected, community was built through acknowledgment of each other’s cultures, and when open discussion about one another’s cultures occurred.