Popular music in elementary classrooms: An analysis of music educators’ self-reported attitudes and practices

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the self-reported practices of elementary music teachers ( N = 87) regarding popular music and their attitudes towards its role in elementary music curricula. Findings revealed that many elementary music teachers actively incorporate popular music into their instruction, with 65.1 per cent of participants reporting frequent or very frequent use. Participants held generally positive attitudes towards popular music, associating it with being relevant, valuable and educational. However, teachers’ attitudes were mixed when it came to using popular music to explore social and racial justice topics; while some participants expressed enthusiasm and found it important to use popular music to give a voice to the oppressed and address contemporary issues, others avoided the topic due to personal beliefs or political pressures. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.