Global Perspectives: Making the Shift from Multiculturalism to Culturally Responsive Teaching

Abstract

In the early part of the 1970s, multicultural music education began in earnest and was focused primarily on the curriculum used for music: textbooks, method books, and repertoire. At the turn of the 21th century, however, culturally responsive teaching emerged as the predominant pedagogy for relating to students. It was considered a student-centered approach to learning, and to date, culturally responsive teaching has been gaining momentum in education and in music education. Simultaneously, there have been discussions in music education surrounding equity and access to music for all. These discussions have resulted in more urgency to include all students in general music through the completion of high school. Culturally responsive teaching, therefore, is poised to become an important approach to equity and access to music for all. What follows is a brief history of the movement and how culturally responsive teaching can become an integral part of all teachers’ approaches to music.