Date of Award
8-27-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Education
Program
Educational Leadership
Capstone Instructor
Professor Brian Boothe
Second Reader
Dr. Theresa Marty
Keywords
Culturally responsive teaching, equity, inclusion, cultural representation
Abstract
This paper examined the best practices for incorporating culturally responsive teaching into the elementary music classroom to promote equity, inclusion, and cultural representation. As classrooms become more diverse, educators must adapt their curriculum and instructional practices to ensure all of their students' needs are met. Unlike regular classroom elementary school teachers, who work with a small group of students for the entire school year, elementary music teachers work with every student in the building. Therefore, elementary music teachers are in a unique position to effectively lead with a culturally responsive curriculum. This literature review was organized into three overarching themes through the use of qualitative, mixed-methods, and grounded theory research studies. The first theme centered on the importance of culturally responsive teaching and choosing culturally responsive repertoire and curriculum. The second theme discussed instructional practices that support equity and inclusion. The third theme focused on classroom environment and cultural representation. Overall, the findings indicated that elementary music teachers can incorporate culturally responsive teaching practices in various ways, and that student education is more inclusive and equitable when culturally responsive teaching is a part of the music curriculum.
Keywords: Culturally responsive teaching, inclusion, equity, and cultural representation