Searching for spaces of encounter and disorientation: Teachers’ lived experiences of music in diverse classrooms

Abstract

This article explores teachers’ ideologies, values, and lived experiences of teaching music in culturally diverse classrooms. Drawing on Irish primary classroom observations and reflective teacher logs collected over a full school year, the study examines how teachers perceive and respond to diversity in music education. The analysis is framed by three theoretical concepts, space (Massey), encounter (Arendt), and disorientation (Ahmed), which offer distinct lenses through which to examine the relational and political nature of socio-musical educational spaces. Findings reveal that teachers play a pivotal role in facilitating and shaping such spaces, yet their responses to diversity vary widely. Some demonstrate flexibility, responsiveness, and openness to child agency, whereas others rely on habitual, screen-mediated practices that limit creativity and reinforce cultural stereotypes. Teachers with greater levels of musical confidence tend to embrace child-led activities and culturally responsive approaches, whereas those with lower levels of confidence often revert to highly prescriptive, externally sourced content. A recurring theme is the gap between teacher intentions and actual practices. While many teachers view music as inherently good and inclusive, their approaches often overlook the complexities of intercultural encounters. Disorientation, understood as moments of discomfort or unfamiliarity, emerges as a critical concept, revealing both challenges and opportunities for pedagogical transformation. Teachers’ responses to disorientation reflect broader structural issues, including a homogeneous teaching workforce, embedded bias, and limited cultural awareness. Hence, we argue for increased reflexive engagement with discomfort and disorientation that recognises the political dimensions of music in diverse classrooms. Through such engagement there is great potential for teachers and schools to embrace change to create more inclusive and agentic musical spaces that reflect the intercultural realities of contemporary classrooms.