Name
Feminist Pedagogies and the K-12 General Music Classroom: From Theory to Practice
Date & Time
Monday, July 27, 2026, 2:50 PM - 3:50 PM
Description
Feminist pedagogies have been thoroughly investigated within and beyond the field of music education. Yet, little research is explicitly dedicated to the practical application of feminist pedagogies within the K-12 general music context. The purpose of this workshop is to extend the theoretical premises put forth within the literature through practice-based discussions and activities, specifically focusing on the K-12 general music context. Though feminist pedagogies are inherently broad and multifaceted, one shared link is a goal of empowerment through a dismantling of oppressive educational practices. With empowerment conceived as capability and creative energy (Mladenović, 2020), this workshop is guided by four feminist pedagogical principles initially proposed by Coeyman (1996): diversity, opportunities for all voices, shared responsibility, and orientation to action. When implemented, these principles can lead to a more accessible and inclusive musical experience for students and teachers.This workshop begins with a brief overview of feminist pedagogies and their need within the K-12 general music context. Following, attendees will engage in a selection of activities centered on the establishment of a feminist class environment (e.g., creating inclusive and welcoming physical spaces, collaboratively creating norms/expectations). Next, attendees will be presented a process-based template for engaging in feminist pedagogies. Inspired by the work of Noddings (2005), this template is premised on the idea of the students (rather than the teacher) identifying, justifying, and then engaging in their musical needs. When engaging with this template, students can articulate a musical need (the “what”), why that need is important to them (the “why”), and how they might go about pursuing that need (the “how”). Finally, attendees will actively experience a portion of this template through a scaffolded songwriting activity. In this activity, attendees will collaborate on the creation of a short song through generating lyrics, rhythm, melody, and a body percussion accompaniment.To further experience the aforementioned feminist pedagogical principles, attendees may contribute to a Padlet (a collaborative online tool for collecting, organizing, and sharing one’s thoughts) at various points during—and possibly after—the workshop. This Padlet will provide attendees with an opportunity to interact virtually through asking and answering questions, sharing suggestions and ideas, and potentially sharing successes and challenges when incorporating feminist pedagogical principles in their own work. Attendees will leave this workshop with a series of feminist-inspired strategies and examples, immediately applicable in their own teaching context regardless of student age or ability, teacher experience, or classroom resources.
Location Name
514C
Full Address
Palais des Congres - Montréal Convention Centre
1001, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Montreal QC H2Z 1H2
Canada
1001, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Montreal QC H2Z 1H2
Canada
Session Type
Workshop
Presenting Author(s)
Lucas Schoppe