Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in Music Education: A Literature Review

The purpose of this literature review was to broadly investigate ways music educators have implemented culturally sustaining pedagogy. Using systematic searches in educational databases, I analyzed 16 studies published between 2018 and 2024 that met the inclusion criteria of implementing culturally sustaining pedagogy in music education settings. The literature is organized by the three core tenets of culturally sustaining pedagogy: funds of knowledge, decolonization, and critical reflexivity. Findings reveal that meaningful implementation of culturally sustaining pedagogy requires a fundamental transformation of music education, moving beyond diverse repertoire selection to encompass students’ cultural knowledge, decolonial practices, and educators’ critical self-reflection.