Hip-Hop was My Teacher: Framing Hip-Hop Pedagogy Through the Voices of P-20 Hip-Hop Educators

Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore the personal connections of P-20 educators with the phenomena of hip-hop. With literature support, we frame hip-hop as both counterstory and agency. This study positions hip-hop as a healing framework that promotes counternarratives, agency, and critical literacy. This study employs a qualitative approach that is informed by a phenomenological design to explore the experiences of 10 self-reported P-20 hip-hop educators. Through semi-structured data collection and thematic analysis, three themes emerge supporting hip-hop as a pedagogical and therapeutic tool for students and teachers in P-20 settings. While affirming literature on hip-hop pedagogy, this study also provides additional considerations for in-service and pre-service dispositional training for P-20 educators.