| This qualitative, phenomenological study identifies and compares students' and one teacher's perceptions of engagement and disengagement in a racially diverse music classroom. Eight racially diverse 7th grade choir students and their teacher were interviewed in order to determine their perceptions of conditions that supported (dis)engagement and of behaviors that signaled (dis)engagement. The researcher compared students' responses to those of their teacher and examined the effects of (dis)engagement in the classroom. Finally, the researcher used Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1994, 1995a, 1995b) as a lens through which to view the themes that emerged.;The students identified the strong, positive, mutually reciprocated relationship between themselves and their choir teacher as foundational to deep engagement. The cultural competence of the teacher and her openness to learning from her students supported this relationship. Students reported that they disengaged when they felt the instruction was musically uninteresting or not challenging. During periods of disengagement, students' behaviors were interpreted in different ways by the teacher and by their classmates, based on cultural expectations. The effects of student engagement included positive flow in classroom sequences, heightened musical achievement, positive mood contagion, group unity/connectedness, and continued positive levels of engagement. Disengagement resulted in a disrupted classroom flow, teacher frustration, teacher instructional interventions including "behavior talk," negative mood contagion, fractured group relationships, and continued disengagement. The students' perceptions of engaging teaching aligned strongly with Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, most notably in the areas of cultural competence, social relations, and academic achievement. The researcher offers suggestions for fostering engagement in diverse music classrooms. |
