Popular Music in the Initial Training of Future Teachers: A Case Study in Higher Education in Spain

(1) Background: In contemporary classrooms, student diversity demands innovative pedagogical tools, yet popular music remains underutilized in teacher preparation. This study examines the association between specific training in popular music and the perceptions of pre-service primary education teachers in Spain regarding its potential to promote inclusion, address diversity, develop emotional intelligence, cultivate values, and reinforce cultural identity. (2) Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional, comparative study of two non-equivalent, non-randomized groups was conducted with 228 students from a single Spanish university, who were allocated by the curriculum structure to a control group (n = 123) and an experimental group (n = 105). Data were collected using an ad hoc 27-item questionnaire, content-validated through expert review and showing high internal consistency (α = 0.92), that measured eight dimensions. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, Student’s t-tests, Cohen’s d, and point-biserial correlations. (3) Results: The experimental group reported significantly more positive perceptions in six of the eight dimensions: prior knowledge, inclusion, cultural identity, attention to diversity, emotional intelligence, and values education. Effect sizes were large (d > 0.8) in five of these dimensions and small in cultural identity. While creativity and critical thinking received high scores in both groups, no significant intergroup differences emerged (negligible effect sizes). (4) Conclusions: Students who had received specific training in popular music reported more positive perceptions of its value as a pedagogical resource for fostering inclusive, value-oriented, and emotionally supportive learning environments. Integrating popular music into initial teacher training curricula may therefore be a promising pedagogical resource to address cultural and emotional classroom diversity; however, these findings rely on self-reported perceptions from a single institution, and explicit strategies appear necessary to target critical thinking and creativity.