Culturally Responsive Education in Music Education: A Literature Review

Overview & Synopsis

Demographic shifts in public school enrollment within the United States necessitate preparing preservice teachers to teach students with backgrounds that differ from their own ethnically, linguistically, racially, and economically. Culturally responsive education (CRE) is a pedagogy used to validate students' varied experiences, and to teach to and through their strengths. CRE emphasizes high expectations, the formation of cultural competence, and development of a critical consciousness. Although the philosophical principles of culturally responsive education have been addressed in general education literature for over thirty years, the presence of the term culturally responsive education in music education dialogue is a relatively recent phenomenon. The purpose of this literature review was to describe how and for what purposes culturally responsive education has been addressed in music education.