Factors Influencing Culturally Responsive Teaching in the Middle School Choral/General Music Classroom Morgan C. Soja and D.

Brett Nolker
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
What we Wanted to Learn What we Know
In the Professional Teaching Standards, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) states that teachers must (a) demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures, (b) select materials and develop lessons that counteract stereotypes and incorporate contributions of students, (c) recognize the influences of culture on a childs development, personality, and performance, and (d) consider and incorporate different points of view in the curriculum, (NCDPI, 2009). One of the most pervasive and valuable elements of most cultures is music. Therefore, music educators have a unique ability to build bridges between what students already know and content standards they wish to teach. In this first section of a multi-tiered study, we sought to examine quantitative data about teachers use, experience, training and comfort with diverse genres. We also examined teachers responses to questions about their familiarity, comfort, training, and use of culturally responsive teaching strategies The initial data about how often teachers use diverse genres in their curricula, and the reasons they choose not to include a specific genre are shown below:
Classical General (n = 67)
02 15 28 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Frequently 22 54 19

Results
Experience with Diverse Genres
60 50 40 30
56 55 57 47 39 31 28 23 20 15 9 4 3 5 0 1 1 6 3 0 3 0 10 4 13 9 6 3 13 47 41

How experienced are middle school choral/general music teachers with diverse musical genres? How comfortable are middle school choral/general music teacher with incorporating diverse musical contexts into the curriculum? Are middle school choral/general music teachers using culturally responsive teaching strategies?

28 2323

30 27

Extremely Inexperienced Inexperienced Neutral Experienced Extremely Experienced

20 10 0
0 0

19

18

Methods
Researchers collected e-mail addresses of 435 middle school choral/general music teachers from North Carolina. These potential respondents were invited to participate in the study by completing a researcher developed instrument which was distributed via the Qualtrics online survey program. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS.

Comfort Incorporating Diverse Genres

General Music n = 67
50 45 40 35 30 25 21 28 25 33 29 25 33 33 30 23 35 33 45

Classical Choral (n = 90)

03 14 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Frequently 5 4 3 2 1 0

Reasons for NOT Including Classical

4 3 2 1 1 0 2

24

Extremely Uncomfortable Uncomfortable 16 Neutral Comfortable Extremely Comfortable

Pop Classical

Country

20

Musicals

15 10 5 0 0 1 2 2 10 5 0 0 0 4 5 0 1 7 3

1313

11 6 1 1 0 7

11

Jazz
Reasons for NOT Including Jazz
18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

Jazz General (n = 67)

0 15 7 Never Rarely Sometimes Often 16 29 Frequently 16

Jazz Choral (n = 90)

11 4 23 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Frequently 36

14 5

16

World

15

14

Choral Music n = 90
2

70

Folk

60 50

61

49 44 39 37 27 23 1413 6 0 0 2 1 1 2 0 4 0

46 35 26 2324 12 3 6 5 0 4 6

44 36

Pop General (n = 67)

0 3 18 22 Never 25 Rarely Sometimes Often Frequently 21

Pop Choral (n = 90)

12 23 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Frequently 42 5 4 3 2 1 0 2

Reasons for Not Including Pop

4 3 2 2 1 2

Rap

40 30 20 10 0
27

41

Extremely Uncomfortable
23 14 9 3

Uncomfortable Neutral Comfortable Extremely Comfortable

10

World General (n = 67)

0 19 11 Never Rarely Sometimes 17 Often Frequently 20 21

World Choral (n = 90)

2 6 Never Rarely 28 Sometimes Often Frequently 33 10 8 6 4 2 0

Reasons for Not Including World Music

9 7 3 1 2 6 1

Participants
E-mails containing a link to the survey instrument were sent to 435 middle school choral/general music educators from each of the 100 counties in North Carolina. One-hundred twenty surveys were begun, and 90 were completed. Some of the participants (n = 90) currently teach choral music only, general music only or a combination of both choral and general music. However, all of the participants answered questions relating to teaching middle school chorus, and 67 participants answered questions relating to teaching middle school general music.
Category Chosen 45 4 41 90 Category Answered 90 67

Reports of Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT)

Use of CRT
4% 18% 44% Never Rarely Sometimes Often 27% 7% Frequently 44% 30% Neutral Comfortable 29% 21% Somewhat familiar Very familiar 78% 8%

Comfort with CRT

12% 6% Extremely Uncomfortable Uncomfortable 16%

Familiarity with CRT

2% 32% Not at all familiar Not too familiar

Training with CRT

22%

Folk General (n = 67)

1 17 Never Rarely 21 Sometimes Often Frequently 22 31 6 18

Folk Choral 9 n = 90)

1 6 Never Rarely 34 Sometimes Often Frequently 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Reasons for Not Including Folk

7 4 2 2 4 1

Yes No

Conclusions
Overall, teachers felt more experienced with, and more comfortable including classical, pop, world, folk and musical theater. Teachers felt less experienced with and less comfortable including jazz, rap/hip hop and country. Nearly half (44%) of participants reported that they never use CRT and 78% said that they had not received any training related to CRT. Because data relating to comfort and familiarity with CRT seem to contrast slightly, analysis of qualitative data connected with these questions will be analyzed. The data suggest that professional development specific to CRT would be useful.

Rap General (n = 67)

6 10 5 Never Rarely 27 Sometimes Often Frequently 19 22

Rap Choral (n =90)

9 2 23 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Frequently 34 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Reasons for Not Including Rap/Hip Hop

34 21 5 12 5 7 37

Musicals General (n = 67)

1 14 9 Never Rarely Sometimes 21 22 Often Frequently 30

Musicals Choral (n = 90)

14 2 13 Never Rarely Sometimes Often 31 Frequently 10 8 6 4 2 0

Reasons for Not Including Musical Theater

8 6 4 5 5 6 1

Choral General Choral and General Total

Country General (n = 67)

6 9 21 4 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Frequently 27 37

Country Choral (n = 90)

8 1 15 Never Rarely Sometimes Often 29 Frequently 25 20 15 10 5 0

Reasons for Not Including Country

21 16 8 3 11 12 2