My research traces how feelings of belonging and mattering are cultivated in music classrooms by weaving together Agency, Democratic Music Education, Popular Music Pedagogies, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. In my dissertation (University of Kentucky, 2024), I investigated music teachers sense of agency within the era of divisive concept laws, and found that although teachers experience a lower sense of agency in states with divisive concept laws, there were pathways to experiencing agency through creativity and understanding the community. In my other work—whether documenting democratic practices in the elementary music classroom in Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education (Dockan, 2024), examining teachers' use of Soundtrap in Journal of Music, Technology & Education (Dockan et al., 2024), or unpacking how Orff Schulwerk and Popular Music Pedagogies intersect in the Music Educators Journal (Vasil & Dockan, 2023)—I consistently look for ways of teaching music that inclusive and learner-led. Music Education is not only about musical growth but also affirming learners’ identities and fostering a sense of belonging and a perception of mattering within and beyond the music classroom.
Selected Refereed Research Articles & Book Chapters
Dockan, D. (in pub). Orff Schulwerk training and music teacher self-efficacy: An exploratory study. The Orff Echo.
Saccardi, D., & Dockan, D. (2025). Reciprocal peer teaching in the elementary setting: Research-to-practice. Journal of General Music Education, 28(3), 35–41. https://doi.org/10.1177/27527646251319767
Dockan, D. (2024) Democratic practices in the elementary music classroom. Bulletin of the Council of Research in Music Education, 424. https://doi.org/10.5406/21627223.242.03
Dockan, D., Knapp, D., Clauhs, M., & Powell, B. (2024). An exploratory study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on music teacher engagement with Soundtrap. Journal of Music Technology & Education, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1386/jmte_00058_1
Vasil, M. & Dockan, D. (2023). Orff Schulwerk and Popular Music Pedagogies. Music Educators Journal, 110(2), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/00274321231214695
Dockan, D. (in pub.). Orff Schulwerk and Modern Band. In B. Powell (Ed.), The Modern Band Handbook: Practical Perspectives and Lessons for Music Educators. Oxford University Press.
Dockan, D. (2020). Orff Schulwerk, Informal Music Learning, and Creativity: A Mixed Methods Study. The Orff Echo, 52(4), pp. 46–51.
Dockan, D. (in pub). Orff Schulwerk training and music teacher self-efficacy: An exploratory study. The Orff Echo.
Saccardi, D., & Dockan, D. (2025). Reciprocal peer teaching in the elementary setting: Research-to-practice. Journal of General Music Education, 28(3), 35–41. https://doi.org/10.1177/27527646251319767
Dockan, D. (2024) Democratic practices in the elementary music classroom. Bulletin of the Council of Research in Music Education, 424. https://doi.org/10.5406/21627223.242.03
Dockan, D., Knapp, D., Clauhs, M., & Powell, B. (2024). An exploratory study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on music teacher engagement with Soundtrap. Journal of Music Technology & Education, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1386/jmte_00058_1
Vasil, M. & Dockan, D. (2023). Orff Schulwerk and Popular Music Pedagogies. Music Educators Journal, 110(2), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/00274321231214695
Dockan, D. (in pub.). Orff Schulwerk and Modern Band. In B. Powell (Ed.), The Modern Band Handbook: Practical Perspectives and Lessons for Music Educators. Oxford University Press.
Dockan, D. (2020). Orff Schulwerk, Informal Music Learning, and Creativity: A Mixed Methods Study. The Orff Echo, 52(4), pp. 46–51.