A Grounded Meta-Analysis of Research on Marginalized Music Teachers

Over the past 15 years, researchers have examined marginalized music teachers’ perspectives, largely through small-scale qualitative studies. Recognizing the individual merit and collective potential of this body of work, we synthesized existing studies into a cohesive theory to explain how marginalized music teachers navigate their professional lives. Three research questions guided our inquiry: (1) What factors shape the professional lives of marginalized music teachers? (2) What strategies do they use to navigate their professional identities? (3) What are the perceived psychological and behavioral outcomes associated with marginalization? Through qualitative meta-analysis, five extrinsic factors (sociocultural influences, administrators, colleagues, students and parents, and personal relationships) and one intrinsic factor (internalized concerns) emerged as central influences. Participants managed their professional identities using two primary strategies: social recategorization (concealing or downplaying their identity) and positive distinctiveness (disclosing or affirming their identity). These strategies were associated with a range of perceived psychological and behavioral outcomes, including distress, professional withdrawal, affirmation, and advocacy. The resulting middle-range theory conceptualizes identity management as a dynamic, context-dependent process associated with sociocultural, relational, and internal factors.