Remixing Dialogue: A Case Study on Perceptions of Hip Hop Pedagogy in a Professional Learning Course

Author

• Kelly J. ThelenFollow

Date of Award

Summer 8-20-2026

Document Type

Dissertation (799 registration)

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Department

Graduate Studies

Committee Chair

Michael Coquyt

Keywords

teacher autonomy, Hip Hop Pedagogy, game-facilitated dialogue, culturally sustaining pedagogy, critical pedagogy, adult learning, professional learning, agency, equity, rural education.

Abstract

This qualitative case study examines how teachers’ decision-making and professional autonomy shift while participating in a Hip Hop Pedagogy Professional Learning course supported by structured FIXIT (Lo & Wachter, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c, 2023d; Wachter & Lo, 2024) game-facilitated dialogue in a rural, culturally and linguistically diverse Midwest community. Grounded in Freire’s (1970) Critical Pedagogy, Ladson-Billings’ (1995) Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris and Alim, 2017), and Adult Learning Theory (Knowles et al., 2005), the study explores the reclamation of agency by teachers in a time of constrained creativity and educator autonomy shaped by strict policy environments, an emphasis on standardization, scripted curricula, and accountability mandates (Apple, 2004, 2012; Giroux, 2025). The professional learning course on Culturally Responsive Teaching was co-developed and facilitated by the researcher, Kelly Thelen, and a colleague at her institution. The second offering of the course expanded session content by deepening the connection to Hip Hop Pedagogy by designing course content around the six elements of Hip Hop: MCing, DJing, Graffiti, Breakdancing, Cypher, and Knowledge of Self (Adjapong & Emdin, 2015; Irby et al., 2013; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Laforgue-Buildo, 2024; Ling et al., 2025; Petchauer, 2009). In addition, the researcher drew on Hip Hop pedagogies that utilize the core elements in English Language Arts for joy and critical literacy (Hall & DeVirgilio, 2025). To ensure the course honored the cultural and ethical dimensions of Hip Hop implementation, the design also incorporated the positionality framework advanced by Adjapong and Allen (2024), prompting reflection on how identity and cultural authenticity shape the practice of Hip Hop Pedagogy, particularly within culturally and linguistically diverse rural school districts where most teachers are White women.

Data were collected through a Creative Commons game-facilitated dialogue instrument, FIXIT (Lo & Wachter, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c, 2023d; Wachter & Lo, 2024), adapted by the researcher for noncommercial educational use to support Hip Hop Pedagogy in professional learning and approved by Lo and Wachter through email. The FIXIT collaborative game prompted teachers to identify barriers and co-construct solutions to professional challenges. Additional data sources included participant artifacts, reflective writing, and course survey responses to triangulate thematic coding in the game-facilitated dialogue. Narrative and thematic analysis traced how teachers negotiated identity, autonomy, and culturally sustaining practices both before and after participation in the course, following Creswell and Poth’s (2018) guidance for analyzing qualitative data through iterative coding, categorization, and interpretation.

The initial experience of the pilot study in the spring of 2025 suggested that Hip Hop Pedagogy, when used in professional learning contexts, fosters teacher reflection, collaboration, and creative resistance to restrictive mandates. Teachers described increased agency in instructional decision-making and a heightened capacity to center student voice, cultural identity, and joy in their practice. The study contributes to scholarship on teacher autonomy, culturally sustaining professional learning, and arts-based methodologies, demonstrating that Hip Hop Pedagogy serves not only as a culturally responsive teaching approach but also as a liberatory model for teacher professional growth and collective empowerment. Grounded in the traditions of Freire’s (1970) critical pedagogy, Ladson-Billings’ (1995) culturally relevant pedagogy, and Paris and Alim’s (2017) culturally sustaining pedagogy, this study extends Emdin’s (2016) reality pedagogy and Love’s (2019) calls for education rooted in joy, justice, and agency, affirming Hip Hop as both praxis and professional renewal.

Keywords: teacher autonomy, Hip Hop Pedagogy, game-facilitated dialogue, culturally sustaining pedagogy, critical pedagogy, adult learning, professional learning, agency, equity, rural education.

Recommended Citation

Thelen, Kelly J., "Remixing Dialogue: A Case Study on Perceptions of Hip Hop Pedagogy in a Professional Learning Course" (2026). Dissertations, Theses, and Projects. 1157.
https://red.mnstate.edu/thesis/1157