Developmentally appropriate strategies of teaching music in selected primary schools in Ashanti region of Ghana

Abstract

In Ghanaian primary schools, music is a compulsory study area which is taught by generalist teachers. However, information is deficient on the strategies teachers use to implement the music curriculum. The aim of this study was to determine how teachers organise musical learning experiences in terms of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) for lower primary school pupils. DAP is an educational concept which refers to teaching strategies that consider children’s age, abilities, interests and experiences, to help them achieve challenging and achievable goals. The study was underpinned by the concept of teaching within the context of constructivist theory. Qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and ethnographic research methods were used to find answers to the research questions. Data were collected by means of observations, interviews and document analysis. Singing, movements and the playing of improvised instruments (although they constitute only a part of the planned music curriculum in the Creative Arts syllabus) dominate the music activities provided in the schools. In fact, unplanned music activities dominate planned music lessons due to teachers’ perceived lack of adequate training to teach music, the non-application of ICT in teaching, a lack of teaching and learning materials, unsuitable physical conditions for teaching, lack of motivation and support to teach, and lack of time to teach music because of the emphasis on meeting the targets of teaching and assessment in core subjects. Strategies the teachers adopt to overcome the challenges they encounter in teaching music include collaboration with their colleagues in planning, teaching and integrating music into most classroom activities and drawing on pupils’ expertise in teaching and learning. It is recommended that teachers be given in-service training, that specialist teachers be used, and that adequate teaching and learning materials be provided, as well as support for teachers to integrate ICT in teaching music. Limitations associated with the study make generalisation of the findings impossible. A larger sample from various primary schools within the Ashanti region of Ghana should be considered for further research. Functional integration of music in the other subject areas within the Ghanaian context should also be explored and further studies should be conducted about the application of developmentally appropriate practice in teaching music in the lower-primary classroom.

Ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi zaseGhana, umculo uyindawo eyimpoqo yokufunda efundiswa ngothisha abajwayelekile. Kodwa-ke, ulwazi alwanele ngamasu othisha abawasebenzisayo ukwenza izifundo zomculo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuthola ukuthi othisha bahlela kanjani amava okufunda omculo ngokwendlela efanelekile yokuthuthuka (NET) yabafundi bezikole zamabanga aphansi. NET ingumqondo wezemfundo obhekisa kumasu okufundisa abheka iminyaka yezingane, amakhono, izintshisekelo kanye nezipiliyoni ezithile, ukuzisiza ukuthi zifeze izinhloso eziyinselele futhi ezingafinyeleleka.Ucwaningo lwalusekelwa ngumqondo wokufundisa ngokwengqikithi yethiyori yokwakha. Ukuhlaziywa Okufanelekile Kokuhunyushelwa Kokubukeka Kwabantu nezindlela zokucwaninga ngobuzwe zisetshenzisiwe ukuthola izimpendulo zemibuzo yocwaningo. Kuye kwaqoqwa imininingwane yolwazi ngokubheka okwenzekayo, izinhlolokhono kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemibhalo. Ukucula, ukunyakaza nokudlalwa kwezinsimbi ezithuthukisiwe (yize ziyingxenye nje kuphela zekharikhulamu yomculo ehleliwe kusilabhasi Yezobuciko Bokuzenzela) kulawula imisebenzi yomculo enikezwe ezikoleni. Empeleni, imisebenzi yomculo engahlelwanga ilawula izifundo zomculo ezihleliwe ngenxa yokungabi bikho kothisha abaqeqeshwe ngokwanele ukufundisa umculo, ukungasetshenziswa kwe- ICT/Ezobuchwepheshe ekufundiseni, ukuntuleka kwezinto zokufundisa nokufunda, izimo ezzibambekayo ezingafanelekile zokufundisa, ukungabi nogqozi nokusekelwa ekufundiseni, nokungabi nesikhathi sokufundisa umculo ngenxa yokugcizelelwa ekuhlangabezaneni nezinhloso zokufundisa nokuhlola ezifundweni ezibalulekile. Amasu othisha abawasebenzisayo ukunqoba izinselelo abahlangabezana nazo ekufundiseni umculo kufaka phakathi ukusebenzisana nozakwabo ekuhleleni, ukufundisa nokuhlanganisa umculo emisebenzini eminingi yasekilasini nokudweba ubuchwepheshe babafundi ekufundiseni nasekufundeni. Kunconywa ukuthi othisha banikezwe ukuqeqeshwa emsebenzini, ukuthi kusetshenziswe othisha abangochwepheshe, nokuthi kuhlinzekwe ngezinto ezanele zokufundisa nokufunda, kanye nokuxhaswa kothisha ukuze bahlanganise i-ICT/Ezobuchwepheshe ekufundiseni umculo. Ukulinganiselwa okuhambisana nesifundo kwenza ukuthi okwenziwa jikelele kokutholakale kungenzeki. Isampula elikhudlwana elivela ezikoleni ezahlukahlukene zamabanga aphansi esifundeni sase-Ashanti eGhana kufanele licatshangwe ukuqhubeka nocwaningo. Ukuhlanganiswa kokusebenza komculo kwezinye izindawo ezingaphansi komongo waseGhana nakho kufanele kuhlolwe futhi kufanele kuqhutshekwe nezifundo ezimayelana nokusetshenziswa kwenqubo efanelekile yentuthuko ekufundiseni umculo ekilasini lamabanga aphansi.

Kwizikolo zaseGhana zamabanga asezantsi, kusisinyanzelo ukufundisa umculo, kwaye oku kwenziwa ngabafundisi ntsapho okanye ootitshala abafundisa yonke into. Noxa kunjalo, akukho lwazi lwaneleyo ngamacebo asetyenziswa ziititshala ekufundiseni ikharityhulam yomculo. Injongo yesi sifundo kukuqwalasela ukuba iititshala zikulungiselela njani ukufundisa ngendlela yophuhliso olufanelekileyo (iDAP) kumabanga asezantsi. Le DAP nesisishunqulelo sesiNgesi sebinza elithi developmentally appropriate practice, yingcinga yezemfundo emalunga namacebo okufundisa athathela ingqalelo ubudala bomntwana, izinto akwaziyo ukuzenza, umdla namava akhe, ukuze ancedwe ekufezekiseni iinjongo ezicela umngeni nezinokufikeleleka. Esi sifundo sisekelwe yingcinga yokufundisa ephuma kwimeko yengcingane yokuzakhela ulwazi. Iimpendulo zophando zifunyenwe ngokusebenzisa iindlela zophando ngokuxoxa nokutolika iimeko ezahlukeneyo (Qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis) kunye nokuqwalasela inkcubeko. Iinkcukacha zolwazi okanye idatha, ziqokelelwe ngokujonga okuqhubekayo, udliwano ndlebe nokuphengulula imibhalo ekhoyo. Ukucula, ukushukuma nokudlala izixhobo zomculo ezingoozenzele (nangona ziyinxalenye yekharityhulam ecetywayo yobuGcisa Bokuzenzela) kudlala indima eyongameleyo kwimisebenzi yomculo eyenziwa ezikolweni. Xa sithetha inyaniso, into eyenzekayo ekufundiseni umculo yimisebenzi engacetywanga ezifundweni ngenxa yokuba ootitshala abaqeqeshekanga kakuhle ekufundiseni umculo, abusetyenziswa ubuchwepheshe ekufundiseni umculo, azikho izixhobo zokufundisa nokufunda umculo, iindawo ekufundiselwa kuzo azifanelekanga, inkxaso nenkuthazo yokufundisa umculo iyasilela kwaye lincinci ixesha lokufundisa umculo ngenxa yokuleqa ukufezekisa imiqathango yokufundisa nokuhlola kwizifundo ezingoondoqo. Ekulweni nemingeni yokufundisa umculo, ootitshala babhenela ekusebenzisaneni nabanye ekwenzeni amacebo okufundisa nokubandakanya umculo kwimisebenzi yeklasi nasekusebenziseni ulwazi lwabafundi. Kucetyiswa ukuba ootitshala bafumane uqeqesho lo gama besebenza, kusetyenziswe ootitshala abaziingcali zomculo kwaye kufumaneke izixhobo ezifanelekileyo zokufundisa nokufunda, kuxhaswe ootitshala ekusebenziseni ubuchwepheshe xa befundisa umculo. Ukunqaba kolwazi okungqonge esi sifundo kwenza kube nzima ukugqiba jikelele ngokufunyanisiweyo. Mhlawumbi kunokuthathwa isampulu yophando enkulu kwingingqi yaseAshanti eGhana ukuze kwandiswe olu phando. Okunye okunokwenziwa kukuhlanganisa umculo nezinye izifundo ngokwemeko yaseGhana, kwaye kufuneka kuqhutywe izifundo ezithe chatha malunga nokusebenzisa iindlela zokufundisa ezinophuhliso olufanelekileyo ekufundiseni umculo kwiklasi yamabanga asezantsi.