Music and Pedagogy: The Role of Cultural and Demographic Variables

Research has shown that music activates neural pathways of the brain involved in memory and cognition, and can effectively promote learning. This study brought in the voices of underrepresented groups by exploring the role of socio-cultural variables in understanding how music is perceived and related to memory among individuals from different backgrounds. A multi-methodological study was conducted drawing on both quantitative and qualitative methods. A total of 91 participants listened to a version of the Preamble of the US Constitution under one of 3 randomly assigned conditions (i.e., reading, rap, or country version) and then completed a memory-based assessment. Bivariate comparisons using t-tests and multivariate linear regression were used to measure relationships between socio-demographic variables and performance. A content analysis was used to explore respondents' feelings about the experiment using open-ended questions. Results revealed that peoples’ perceptions of the mode of delivery of the Preamble and their subsequent performance on the assessment were influenced by a variety of socio-demographic variables, including nativity and race/ethnicity, as well as the audio mode of delivery and their feelings about it. The findings point to the need for sensitivity to the diversity in individuals’ backgrounds when using music to promote learning.