Exploring major factors affecting the teaching of music education in primary schools the case of four primary schools in addis ababa

I Exploring Major Factors Affecting the Teaching of Music Education in Primary Schools: The Case of Four Primary Schools in Addis Ababa Tigist Getachew A Thesis Submitted to Center f

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Exploring Major Factors Affecting the Teaching of

Music Education in Primary Schools:

The Case of Four Primary Schools in Addis Ababa

Tigist Getachew

A Thesis Submitted to Center for African and Oriental Studies

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

June, 2017

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Exploring Major Factors Affecting the Teaching of

Music Education in Primary Schools:

The Case of Four Primary Schools in Addis Ababa

Tigist Getachew

A Thesis Submitted to Center for African and Oriental Studies

Presented in Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master

of Arts in African Studies (African Intellectual History and Cultural Studies)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

June, 2017

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ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE CENTER FOR AFRICAN AND ORIENTAL STUDIES

EXPLORING MAJOR FACTORS AFFECTING THE

TEACHING OF

MUSIC EDUCATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS:

THE CASEOF FOUR PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN ADDIS ABABA

TIGIST GETACHEW

ADVISER GETACHEW KASSA(Phd)

A Thesis Submitted to the Center for African and Oriental Studies of Addis Ababa

University

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Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in

African Studies (Intellectual History and Cultural Studies )

June, 2017 Addis Ababa

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Addis Ababa University College of Social Science Center for African and Oriental Studies

This is to certify that the thesis prepared by Tigist Getachew, entitled: Exploring Major Factors Affecting the Teaching of Music Education in Primary Schools:The Case of Four Primary Schools in Addis Ababa and submitted in Partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in African Studies (Intellectual History and Cultural Studies), complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality

Signed by the Examining Committee:

I would also like to express my profound gratitude to my colleagues: Million Yohannes, Yazew Abera, Meskerem Zeray Simegnesh Teklay and her husband Araya Demisse for their invaluable support during my study

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of contents Pages

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I TABLE OF CONTENTS II ABSTRACT VI DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS VII CHAPTER ONE 1

1.1 Background of the Study 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem 2

1.3 Research Questions 3

1.4 Objectives of the study 3

1.4.1 Major Objective 3

1.4.2 Specific Objectives 4

1.5 Significance of the Study 4

1.6 Scope of the Study 5

CHAPTER TWO 6

2 Review of Related Literature 6

2.1 Music Education and its Various Approaches 6

2.2 Major Features of African Music 9

2.3 Benefits of Music Education for Various Academic Activities 10

2.4 The Integration of Music with other Subjects 11

2.5 Music and Language Skills 12

CHAPTER THREE 14

3 Research Methodology 14

3.1 The Research Design 14

3.2 Source of Data 14

3.3 Population and sampling procedure 14

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3.4 Instruments of the study 15

3.4.1 Questionnaire 15

3.4.2 Structured Interviews 15

3.4.3 Classroom Observation 16

3.4.4 Focus Group Discussion 16

3.4.5 Text Books’ Content Evaluation 17

3.5 Data Collection Procedure 18

4 Results and Discussion 19

4.1 Analysis and Interpretation of data 19

4.2 Major Findings of Teachers ‘questionnaire 25

4.3 Major Findings from the students’ Questionnaire 27

4.4 Major Findings of Administrators questionnaire 27

4.5 Major Findings of the Administrators’ Interview 30

4.6 Major Findings of the Experts Interview 33

Teachers’ Performance in Music Education 33

4.7 Major Findings from Instructors’ Interview 35

4.8 Major Findings of the Classroom Observation 40

4.9 Major Findings from Students’ Focus Group Discussion 42

4.10 Major Findings of Instructors’ Group discussion 42

4 11 Major Findings of the Text Book Evaluation (Grade 1-4) 50

4.12 Major Findings of the text books’ evaluation (Grade 5 and 6) 54

CHAPTER FIVE 56

5 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations 56

5.1 Summary 56

5.2 Conclusion 57

5.3 Recommendations 58

REFERENCES 60

APPENDICES 63

Appendix 1: Teachers’ Questionnaire 63

Appendix 2: Students’ Questionnaire 68

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Appendix 3: School Administrators’ Interview 70

Appendix 4: Focus group discussion with instructors and Experts in Educational Bureau and Ministry of Education 71

Appendix 5: Focus Group Discussion with Students 72

Appendix 6: Data from School Administrators’ Questionnaire 73

Appendix 7: በበበበበበ በበበበ በበበበ 74

Appendix 8: በበበበበበ በበ በበበበበ በበበበ በበበበ 75

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1: Background of Teachers 19

Table 4.2 The Relevance of music education and the appropriateness of contents in the text books 20

Table: 4.3 Music Teachers’ General concept about Music Education 21

Table: 4.4 Vocal and Instrumental Skills of Music Teachers 22

Table: 4.5 School Administrators’ support for teachers 23

Table: 4.6 Contents of the current music education text books 24 Table 4.7 Developing contents of the text book 25

Table 4.8 Appropriateness of the Text Book 26

Table: 4.9 Grade one text book 44

Table: 4.10 Grade Two Text Book 45

Table: 4.11 Grade Three Text Book 47

Table: 4.12 Grade Four Text Book 48

Table: 4.13 Grade Five Text Book 52

Table: 4.14 Grade Six Text Book 53

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ABSTRACT

This study is an attempt to gain insight into the major factors affecting the teaching of music education,

in primary schools and to find out solutions for the existing problems Thus, an exploratory approach with qualitative and quantitative methods has been used to carry out the study The main subjects of the study were eighty primary school students, twenty two primary school teachers, four school administrators, two higher institution instructors, and experts from the Ministry of Education and Addis Ababa City Administration Educational Bureau Samples were selected using purposive sampling method Data on the research topic were gathered by means of questionnaires, interview, classroom observation, focus group discussion, and text books’ content evaluation (grade one up to six) Analysis of the data indicated that there are certain critical problems which affect the teaching of music education in the current primary schools Most of the problems are related to: teacher’ training policy, teachers’ performance in the field, text books’ content organization, lack of musical instruments, availability of text books, society’s attitude to the subject matter and teachers’ motivation towards music education The study concludes by forwarding recommendations and considering some pedagogical implications to the teaching of music education in primary schools

Key words:- Ethiopia, Music Education, Primary schools and Teaching Methods

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DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

1 Chord: - (music) A harmonic set of three or more notes that is heard as if sounding

4 Flat: - (music) of a note or voice, lower in pitch than it should be

5 Harmony:-arrangement of sounds two or more notes played simultaneously

6 Lyrics:-The words of a song or other vocal music

7 Melody:-Sequence of notes that makes up a musical phrase

8 Major scale:-One of the diatonic scales; a group of notes or musical pitches in a particular pattern used to make melodies The pattern for a Major scale is:

Tone –tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone

In the key of C Major, this produces a scale with the notes C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C

9 Minor scale: - (music) A diatonic scale based up on a relative Major scale by changing its tonic note by three semitones

10 Musical notations:-A system which represents aurally perceived music through the use of written symbols

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11 Natural: - (music) neither sharp nor flat denoted

12 Scale: - (music) A series of note spanning an octave used to make melodies

13 Semitone:- (music) The musical interval equal (exactly or approximately) to half a tone or

One-twelfth of an octave

14 Sharp: - (music) Higher in pitch than required

15 Staff (stave) :- (music) A series of horizontal lines on which musical notes are written

16 Tempo:- (music) The number of beats per minute in a piece of music; also, an indicative term denoting approximate rate of speed in written music (examples: allegro, andante)

17 Time signature: - (music) A numerical sign placed on the stave to indicate the meter, the Numerator is the number of beats per bar, the Denominator represents the value of each beat

18 Tone: - (music) a specific pitches

19 Tune (kignit):-A melody or a song, or short musical composition

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CHAPTER ONE

1.1 Background of the Study

Education is both a means and process of transmitting knowledge and civilization of a society for the

present and the future generations with the view to facilitate the continuity of knowledge (Okafor,

1988)

Music has various uses for the learners It assists learners in releasing their emotions and expressing

their feelings, provides aesthetic enjoyment, entertainment, recreation and amusement, serves as

symbolic representation of a particular culture, stimulates physical responses, facilitates conformity to

social norms, validates social institutions and religious rituals, contributes to the continuity and stability

of culture, Music contributes to the integration of society (Allyn and Bacon 1969)

The purpose of delivering music education is mainly to motivate young learners to learn other subjects

effectively and to enhance subject integration (Adegbite, 1999)

The provision of music as a subject in Ethiopia began during the reign of Menelik II The subject was

given for both elementary and secondary school students The subject was continued till 1950 in both

primary and secondary grades But the subject was given for the sake of curriculum fulfillment (Ezra,

2002)

According to Ezra, (2002) at present the delivery of music education in the public and private schools

in Addis Ababa varies a lot Some private schools teach music education at primary school level as a

subject They also hire teachers who were trained in music discipline and who are qualified in the

subject matter of music and in music teaching By contrast, in most public schools in Ethiopia in

general and particularly, in Addis Ababa City Administration still qualified professional music lesson

instructors did not employ to teach the subject

Currently music education is given with an integration of Physical Education and Art under Aesthetic

department But this trend has created difficulty in the implementation of music education and for the

effectiveness of the curriculum (Martha 2010) The delivery of music education in most schools in

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Addis Ababa also varies a lot Some private schools teach music education beginning from primary school levels as a subject They also hire teachers who were trained in music discipline, who are qualified in the subject matter By contrast, most public schools in Addis Ababa city administration have not been recruited qualified teachers in the field (Ezra 2010)

Moreover the subject has been given by non-professional teachers, trained in other field of specialization Hence, it seems that this issue needs to be taken very seriously It needs to be resolved immediately by the government and other stakeholders to implement music education in a scientific way Moreover, research should be carried out on the major challenges of music education, and how to improve both the content and methodology of the subject matter

According to Fafunwa, (1971) in most part of the world Songs have been used as a means to enhance and facilitate learning objectives It also plays a significant role to teach children Music is the primary element of the given society in various issues such as: socio-cultural heritage, cultural assets, virtue, etc… It also serves as a channel to advance and maintain other useful identities of the society to the generations It could also help to shape learners’ personality

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The teaching of music education in most primary schools found to be unsatisfactory due to various factors in relation to teachers, learners, and administrative bodies The problem is manifested both in public and private schools Most teachers are untrained and school administrative bodies give little attention for the subject matter According to Ezra (2002) music education in Ethiopia have various challenges such as: absence of skilled human power, lack of training, classroom size of students, and lack of musical instruments The curriculum and syllabus of music education also lacks its indigenous nature Meaning it could not inspire learners to discover their own culture and tradition in the contents

of the subject matter This could attribute to the failure of the music education system Many scholars also agree that music education is not received adequate level of support it needs in the school (Smith, 1985)

Moreover, the integration of music education has not been yet implemented in schools since music education has a significant role to make contents of other disciplines more clear According to Abate,

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(2002:73) the concept of integration seems not well understood by the curriculum experts Music education text books are also not well organized in ways which are suitable for the learners’ age level and educational background Concerned bodies also do not give serious consideration for the implementation of the subject matter

1.3 Research Questions

With the aim to find out the major factors affecting the teaching of music education in primary schools,

it is necessary to answer the following questions:

1.3.1 Major Research Questions

1 What are the major factors affecting the teaching of music Education in primary schools?

1.3.2 Specific research questions

1 What teaching methods are used by teachers?

2 What are the students’ difficulties in learning music education in classes?

3 How are the current music education text books organized in terms of content and methodology?

4 What contributions have been done so far by school administrators, and other concerned bodies, to

improve the teaching of music education?

1.4 Objectives of the study

1.4.1 Major Objective

The major objective of the study is to explore the underlying problems in the teaching of music education, particularly in primary grades.(1-6)

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1.4.2 Specific Objectives

The specific objectives are to:

• Examine the current teaching methodologies used in music education

• Identify teacher, student, and other external factors which can be a threat for an effective teaching learning process in music education

• Examine the effectiveness of music education text books in all primary grades (1-6)

• Suggest some effective strategies that could help both teachers and students in the teaching of music education

1.5 Significance of the Study

The proposed study is hopped to generate useful facts and based policy ideas for music education in primary schools It will have a great value as, it tried to evaluate the existing practice and attitudes of music Education Teacher, administrative bodies, and other concerned bodies would also get a chance

to take some corrective measures in the teaching of music education The concerned bodies would also get some insights about the current development of music education and possible to make a revision in the contents of text books, curriculum, syllabus and policies of music education, particularly in primary grades Moreover, it can serve as a base line to offer music lessons and instructions in primary schools Problems related to the implementation of music education in primary schools, particularly in Addis Ababa were also identified, and possible solutions and recommendations were proposed for a better implementation system in primary schools in Addis Ababa that will also enhance children academic achievements

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1.6 Scope of the Study

This study focuses on identifying factors in the teaching of music education in primary schools of Addis Ababa City Administration Thus, the researcher is limited in time and obliged to conduct the research in limited primary schools for classroom observation and micro teaching activities

Problems related to the implementation of music education in primary schools, particularly in Addis Ababa were identified, and possible solutions and recommendations were proposed for a better implementation system in primary schools in Addis Ababa that will also enhance children academic achievements Most assigned teachers in music education were from other field of specialization Due

to this fact, I was not able to get the intended data for my study

In conclusion, this chapter briefly discussed the following points: the background of the study, the

study that explores the major factors affecting the teaching of music education in primary school, statement of the problem, major and specific research questions, which helps to explore problems of the research topic, the objective and scope of the study, and the significance of the study for music education

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CHAPTER TWO

2 Review of Related Literature

This chapter reviews the literature in the area of music education and instruction Issues such as what of music education, the importance of music education and instruction, basic features of music education etc…are reviewed in this chapter Thus, it is hoped that the approaches reviewed in this chapter will provide a theoretical base for the study

2.1 Music Education and its Various Approaches

Different authorities in the field define the concept of music education and explain the various approaches in different ways For instance Yudkin (2008:12-13) defines ‘’Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music It touches on all learning domains, including the psychomotor domain (the development of skills), the cognitive domain (the acquisition of knowledge), and in particular and significant ways, the affective domain (the learner’s willingness to receive, internalize, and share what is learned’’

Current research in the field reveals that the global music instruction and approach in most world, from preschool up to post-secondary school is very common and similar in content The reason is that people strongly believe that music is a distinctive feature of humans such as language and other social values

in the modern society.(Christopher and et al,2010)

Moreover; Yudkin (2008) says the involvement of music in school curriculum is considered as a fundamental element of human culture and behavior

According to Lee (2012) the middle of twentieth century was the exact time that so many distinctive approaches were developed for the teaching of music education Some of them have a global impact even these days

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The Dalcroze method or eurhythmics, the Kodaly Method, the Orff Schulwerk approach, the Suzuki method, the Carabo Cone method etc… are some of the major music teaching methods greatly influenced our world Lee (2012)

According to Riley and Chrisman (1990) the Kodaly method is greatly emphasized on the benefits of physical instruction and response to music while the Orff Schulwerk approach directs learners to scale

up their performance in music in a way that is equivalent to the advanced world, western countries On the other hand, the Suzuki method creates the same learning environment as the learners acquire knowledge in their native language

The Gordon Music learning theory greatly helps the music teacher with a technique of teaching music concepts through audition The carabo Cone Method also involves using props, consumes, and toys to learn basic concepts in music This method is particularly suitable for children whose cognitive level is incapable to perceive abstract concepts This music teaching method also helps music teachers to teach basic music concepts such as note duration, and the piano key board D’souza (2013)

As Bosacki and Neill (2013) confirms in most American, European and Asian countries, children often learn to play instruments such as key board, recorders, since from the lower grades They also learn and informed about basic elements of music and the history of music education Children may often have the opportunity to perform in some type of musical ensemble, such as a choir, orchestra, or school band, concert band, marching band and Jazz band In many schools of those countries additional music classes are still conducted both in primary, secondary and post secondary high schools to support other academic streams and remain as part of the school curriculum

Moreover in most countries students at the tertiary level take music courses in art and humanity programs such as; the history of music and music appreciation which focuses on listening and learning various styles of music (Bosacki and Neill, 2013)

When we come to our country’s context Ethiopia is one of the oldest nation in the world with various music cultures both in secular and scared concepts According to Zenebe (1987) Ethiopian music trained and educational system is the result of the diverse fascinating culture of nations and nationalities The Hamitic, Semitic and Cushitic people have contributed a lot to the current music development of the state

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According to Ashenafi (2012), ancient worship and superstition in Ethiopia such as ‘’the dragon king

‘and other sacrificial ceremonies were accompanied by music.’’ Ritualistic songs and dance was very common in the early society All these displays, the belief and worship of spirits formed musical practices in the earliest society of Ethiopia Later on these many years of cumulative musical experience played a significant role for the birth of the current Ethiopian church’s ritual and hymns Research says, Yared was the one who got recognition for the current notations in Ethiopian songs

He was the greatest of all Ethiopian music scholars, lived during the reign of King Gebre Meskel (Ashenafi, 2012) another research also manifested that there were two non ecclesiastic learned men, Azaz Gera and Azaz Raguel, who introduced notations during the reign of Emperor Gelawdewos (1508-1540) But still there is a controversial facts about these two music intellectuals According to Ashenafi (2012) these two scholars were civilians and they were far beyond the theological knowledge and untrained in the practices of church belief But still some people believe that notations were introduced before saint Yared

Regarding the modes of music, the secular and religious music in Ethiopia has a different mode and style According to (Zenebe, 1987) the secular music has been to have four modes called: Ingurguro, Mezmur, Zefen, and Zema

“Ingurguro” is a musical style which is found in a litany type of music The song is primitive type that anyone found it in each and every traditional folk music It is also reflected in most of Ethiopian ethnic groups This is the type of song which is usually sung in a soft and sentimental manner.(Zenebe, 1987)

Songs of this type are not accompanied by hand clapping or drum playing Song contents such as; personal emotions, frustration, life experiences etc… were manifested in the song type In addition to this the “Ingurguro” serves as a psychotherapeutic release for repressed emotions Moreover, there are

no established texts or habits for the song, nor a distinction between men and women But the aim of singing the song might differ in its objective Women usually sing the song doing their traditional handy craft such as ‘sifet’ (wickerwork) and ‘wofcho’(grinding a stone) while men are singing when they are getting frustrated and feel bad in different issues (Zenebe, 1987)

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The second style of Ethiopian music is ‘’Mezmur’’ which has a unique character from the rest music modes It differs from the rest of music styles that it is performed with a different rhythmical restrictions and content limitations The song has its own unique settings such as: funerals, sporting games, Children’s songs and societal celebrations Furthermore; it is performed in a high pitch and a maximum emotion level (Zenebe 1987)

The third musical mode in Ethiopia is ‘’Zefen’’ which is one of the most popular musical style in the country It is performed in a relaxed manner and accompanied by a dance and drum It is also sung in a full voice with a variety of song texts (Zenebe, 1987)

The fourth type of musical mode is ‘’Zema’’which is mostly confined to ecclesiastical and hymn songs

We found such a song, in church services such as in “Kidasse” and “Sahitat” “Zema” by its nature has similar rhythmic characteristics with “Ingurguro” and “Mezmur” “Woreb” is also equated with the

“Zefen” secular style of music The difference lies on only in its musical modes and psychological implications (Zenebe, 1987)

2.2 Major Features of African Music

Like all other parts of the world African music has its own unique feature in its combination Call and response, the dense quality of the music (overlapping texture) and the cyclical and open ended form of the music are the three major features of African music (O’Conor, 2010)

According to O’Conor, (2010) call and response is a very common music practice in all over sub Saharan African Society African music has also a dense overlapping texture, which greatly contributes for the sound quality of the music The cyclical open ended nature of the music also distinguishes African music from the rest part of the world Meaning one or more repeated melodies or rhythmic patterns or ostinatos used as the basic foundation of the performance

Furthermore, Community participation has a great value in most African music traditions Non specialized participants would also be given a chance to enter and perform musical activities Repetition and intensive participation are also basic features of African music.(Ashenafi, 2012)

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2.3 Benefits of Music Education for Various Academic Activities

It is obvious that Music is an invaluable to human culture It is a part of people's daily lives around the world It allows people to connect with each other and with themselves to discover a deeper meaning of human emotions and interactions ( Rauscher, 2000) Music Education is a necessary means by which all students can express themselves and discover their own emotions A music classes would give opportunities for the learners to grow: emotionally, mentally, and physically It also works as a support system for peer interactions (Azzara, 2012)

According to Azzara (2012), music Education provides necessary life skills such as: self-discipline, self-expression, responsibility, patience, and teamwork Music Education is a way to instill a love of music that will carry on for the rest of students’ lives Different researchers and music education advocators have argued that studying music enhances academic achievement, (Joane, 2012) Different authors have claimed that "Music enhances knowledge in the areas of mathematics, science, geography, history, foreign languages, physical education, and vocational training (Morrison, 1994) Researchers at the University of Wisconsin suggested that students who played a piano or a keyboard before the exam performed better than those who didn’t play Particularly in spatial-temporal lobe activity, this is the part of the brain that is used when doing mathematics, science, and engineering (Rauscher and Zupan, 2012)

According to Wallace (1994), music has also a great relevance in recalling contents of the subject matter Regarding this issue a research has made by forming an experimental and control group Three groups were made and the first group was made to learn their lesson with a three verse song with a non-repetitive melody The second group was made to carry out their study with a repetitive melody The third group performed their task totally without music And finally the result was revealed that the controlled group, those who learned their lesson with music performed better than those who performed their activity without music

Another research was conducted in word list memorization Two groups were made for the study The first group was made to memorize words with back ground music and the second group was made to memorize words with a back ground music This research was also revealed that those group of learners carried out their activity with a back ground music were able to memorize more words with a

Bobbett (1990) also suggests that music and art contributes a lot for the society to overcome misbehaved citizens For instance citizens who are addicted in alcohol, tobacco and drugs showed a promising changes when they engaged in Musical performances such as band and orchestra Thus it is clear that music education is a means to recover the normal mind status of individuals in who are in acute problems

2.4 The Integration of Music with other Subjects

Many schools and educational sectors strongly suggest the integration of art classes such as music with other disciplines like: foreign languages, history, geography, physical education, mathematics, science and vocational training The strong belief is that integrating different curricula with music will definitely bring up a change in the learners’ academic performance It also enhances the overall quality

of education

Many students in the world have a learning difficulty in one or another ways Research shows that music has a great relevance to overcome those challenges and to enhance the cognitive level of students In the United States of America an estimated 30% of students are still struggle with reading,

un able to understand the gist of a certain text while 17% of the learners have shown a learning disability linked with reading (Register et al., 2007)

According to Overy (2000) Students engaged in music curriculum brought a remarkable change in reading comprehension, word power, vocabulary recall and word decoding Music education has also a great advantage to support children with dyslexic read and write problems disability, visual, auditory and fine motor skill disabilities (Butzlaff, 2010)

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Schellenberg (2004) also confirms that Music education has also been noted to have the ability to increase someone’s overall IQ, especially in children, during their peak development years Special ability, verbal memory, reading and mathematical abilities are seemed to be increased when they are given interactively with music education Researchers also noted that the general attendance and IQ would also increase when they are integrated with music education Motor skills, social behaviors, and the emotional well being of the learners will dramatically increase through music and music education

According to Bosacki and O’Neill (2013) learning musical instruments increase the ability of students’ fine motor skill, particularly those in physical disabilities Emotional well-being can also be increased

as students find meaning in songs and other rhythmic works Musical activities like playing jazz and concert bands would also scale up the learners emotional and mental well-being In doing so learners also will come to learn how to socialize and interact with their surrounding community

2.5 Music and Language Skills

Teaching children through music is the most rewarding profession, and being able to share love of music with students would be the most amazing job one could ever ask for Bosacki and O’Neill (2013)

One of the breakthroughs in this area is that music’s benefit for language development, which is so important for children to acquire basic language skills easily While children come to the world, they are ready to decode sounds and words Music education helps enhance those natural abilities According to Colwell, (1992) “Growing up in a musically rich environment is often advantageous for children’s language development.” And of course those inborn capacities need to be reinforced and further practiced through music education

According to Colwell, (1992) the effect of music education on language development can be seen in the brain Musical training also develops parts of our brain, particularly the left side, known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways Integrating familiar songs to new information can also help to store information in the learners’ minds This relationship between music and language development is also socially advantageous to young children The development of language over time tends to enhance parts of the brain that help to

To conclude, this chapter briefly presented the theoretical background of the study Issues such as the

major features, approaches, and benefits of music education have been discussed The integration of music education with other subjects and the significance of music education in teaching language skills also discussed in the chapter

3.1 The Research Design

To carry out the study an exploratory approach with qualitative and quantitative methods were employed An exploratory approach as the name states, intends to determine the nature of the problem and to explore the research topic with varying level of depth (Singh, 2007) The study also aimed at identifying the major problems affecting the Teaching of Music Education in Primary Schools with selected schools in Addis Ababa both from public and private schools

3.2 Source of Data

The source of data were: First cycle Aesthetics teachers, music education teachers in grade five and six, students, school administrative bodies, instructors in a higher institution, experts in the Ministry of Education, and Addis Ababa City Administration Educational Bureau representatives in music education were involved in the study

3.3 Population and sampling procedure

The population for this study was: 22 Aesthetic and music subject teachers, school administrative bodies, and 80 students The sample was selected using purposive sampling technique Two public primary schools and two primary schools from private sector were involved in the study

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It is also known as judgmental selective or subjective sampling It is a basic tool for information selection Purposive sampling is a non probability sampling technique, which is used in considering sampling units that are assumed to provide adequate information on the issue of the study

In this research method the researcher relies on his or her own judgment when choosing members of sample in the study Participants are also selected according to the need or purpose of the study

(Creswell, 2010)

3.4 Instruments of the study

To obtain sufficient information for the study the following eight types of data collection tools were used; teachers’ questionnaire, students’ questionnaire, school administrative bodies’ questionnaire, school administrative bodies’ structured interview, instructors’ interview, expert’s interview, classroom observation, focus group discussion, text books’ content evaluation

3.4.1 Questionnaire

According to Dornei (2007) questionnaire is one of the instruments used to collect data for the study The questionnaire was aimed to acquire necessary information for the research The questionnaire consisted of respondent’s demographic information, teacher’s qualification, and field of specialization and total years of service as a teacher in primary schools

Questions were about the teaching materials used for music education, professional competence of the teachers, their awareness on the relevance of educational songs on music education and respondent’s comments, suggestions or recommendations for further improvements of music education in the future The questionnaire was also given for students in grade five and six which were selected in purposive sampling technique

3.4.2 Structured Interviews

Interviews were conducted with instructors in higher institutions, school administrative bodies, experts

in the Ministry of Education and an expert from Addis Ababa Educational Bureau

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According to Candlin and Breen (1983) Structured interview is a qualitative data gathering tool that increases the reliability and credibility of data in the research work It is commonly employed in survey and exploratory research

3.4.3 Classroom Observation

Observation is a systematic data collection approach in qualitative research It has been used in a

variety of disciplines as a tool for collecting data about people, process, and cultures in qualitative research (Candlin and Breen, 19 83)

Researchers use observation to examine the subjects in a natural setting or naturally occurring

situations Observation usually involves prolonged engagement in a setting or social situation (Morgan

19 88)

In this research a classroom observation was also used to collect the data Eighty students were

involved in the classroom observation from four selected primary schools, two governmental and two private schools The aim of the classroom observation was to observe teaching learning activities in music classes, basic methodologies teachers employ in the classes, the way how teachers use the text books and to see the major problems that teachers and students face in the classroom

3.4.4 Focus Group Discussion

Focus group discussions were held in all selected primary schools among teachers, students, and administrators

The discussion helps the researcher to gather information regarding the relevance of educational songs

in music class and how the music education implemented in classrooms Moreover, a focus group discussion is a good way to gather data from people having similar back ground or experience The discussion is based on specific topics, which is going to fulfill the interest of the researcher

3.4.5 Text Books’ Content Evaluation

The text books’ content evaluation has done to collect the intended data for the research For this reason text books from grade one up to six has been used as a secondary resource

According to Lindlof and Taylor (2012) Text book evaluation helps both the teacher and the learners in various ways Teachers would have sequenced and structured contents which could help them to offer a meaning full teaching in the classroom

Well revised text books also help the learners to have an independent or autonomous learning This greatly helps learners to meet their academic needs

Furthermore, Lindlof and Taylor (2012) suggest that text book evaluation can be performed in three phases: pre use, during use (in use), and after use (or post use)

In the first phase, the contents of the text book have to be carefully described in terms of scope, sequence, and organizations The exercises contained within the text book should also carefully examined

The in use and after use evaluation mostly focus on the global needs of contents The comprehensive need of the overall contents and the nature of tasks should be evaluated in depth The syllabus, the theoretical frame work, the methodology, the language content, and the organization of the text book should also closely reviewed and evaluated

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3.5 Data Collection Procedure

The study was conducted over a period of two months (March and April) in Four Phases During the first phase, the classroom observation was conducted in twelve sessions The second phase of the data collection was conducted offering questionnaires for students, teachers, and administrative bodies The third phase of data collection comprised structured interviews with school administrative bodies, instructors in higher institutions, experts from the Ministry of Education and regional Educational bureau The final phase of the data collection was conducted making a focus group discussion with students, instructors in higher institution, and experts in the Ministry of Education and the regional educational bureau

In conclusion, this chapter presented all the essential procedures of the research such as the subject of

the study, the study design, the sampling technique, instruments of the study and the data collection procedure Also the identification of the sample group and the administration of the instruments have been described with the literature which coincides with the study

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CHAPTER FOUR

4 Results and Discussion

This chapter discusses about the major factors affecting the teaching of music education in primary schools The data were drawn from questionnaires of selected aesthetics and music subject teachers and students of grade 5 and 6 ; in depth interviews with selected school administrators, higher institution instructors, Ministry of Education and Educational Bureau representatives Focus group discussions were held with teachers, school administrators and students Classroom observation was also used to collect the data Text books’ evaluation was also made as a source of data

4.1 Analysis and Interpretation of data

Table 4.1: Background of Teachers

Source: Compiled by the researcher, Addis Ababa, 2017

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From the above Table we can clearly observe that most teachers teach music without specialization

Even teachers from other discipline were involved in music teaching The statistics shows only two

teachers were graduated in music Seven teachers are graduated in aesthetics but the rest are out of the

music discipline For instance four teachers were involved for music teaching from language stream

Nine teachers were from Geography, History, Art, Civic and ethical education and General science

From the above data we can conclude that the area is still neglected and nonprofessional teachers are

involved in music teaching

Table 4.2 The Relevance of music education and the appropriateness of contents in the text books

2 Do you think the music education syllabus

and music education text books have more

significance to teach the subject?

3 Do you think the music education text books’

contents are all relevant?

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For Items particularly in No 1 and No 2 respondents totally agreed on the relevance of Music Education and the revision of the text books in its content and Methodology Regarding the significance of the syllabus and text books for the teaching learning process, 59.09% responded that they agreed on the idea, 22.73 % of the population responded they strongly believe on the issue while the rest 18.18% didn’t respond anything about the issue Regarding the issue on No 3, the appropriateness of contents in the text book, 80% responded contents of the current music education text books are partially relevant.5% of the population believes that the contents in the text book are fully relevant for both teachers and students But the rest 15% of the population remained passive to give their opinion

Table: 4.3 Music Teachers’ General concept about Music Education

Quantity Percentag

e

1 Do you have any knowledge of reading music

notes which are written in primary school text

2 Do you have knowledge to compose melody for

the written lyrics that are written in the text books?

b) No 19 87.35

3 If you can’t compose the melody for the written

lyrics, what mechanisms did you use?

b) give chance to students to try by themselves 15 68.18

c) if you have any method write on the space

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In the above Table, 4.3 for question number 1, only 13.65% of the respondents replied that they have adequate knowledge to read and interpret musical notations 18.2% of the respondents said that they had little knowledge of reading musical notations The rest 68.18% has honestly confirmed that they are un able to read any musical notations Regarding teachers’ knowledge in composing melodies for the lyrics in the text book only 13.65% of the population confirmed that they have the ability to compose a melody But 87.35% of the respondents responded that they didn’t have the knowledge of composing music melody

68.18% of the respondents said they will give a chance for the learners to compose a melody by themselves The rest 31.82% said they would definitely skip those topics and contents of the text book, because of their poor performance in the field

Table: 4.4 Vocal and Instrumental Skills of Music Teachers

Quantity Percentage

1 Do you understand the student’s voice

incorrectness while singing?

Source: Compiled by the researcher, Addis Ababa, 2017

Concerning the vocal and Instrumental skill of teachers only 22.73% of the respondents identify and could rate the vocal quality of their students But 77.27% responded they didn’t have vocal skill to identify which of the students have good vocal system and which of them are poor in their vocal

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performance Regarding the second item only 13.65% of the total respondents are able to play one of the musical instruments either from the modern or traditional music instruments On the contrary 87.35% of the respondents are unable to play any kind of musical instruments either from the modern

or traditional ones

Table: 4.5 School Administrators’ support for teachers

Quantity Percentage

1 Did you get support from the school

administration to upgrade your field of study in

2 Is it advisable to assign a single teacher to

teach three subjects?

Source: Compiled by the researcher, Addis Ababa, 2017

Concerning the above items 9.9% responded they have got few chances to participate in different workshops and to involve in related academic activities in their school but 90.1% replied that so far they didn’t get any support from the concerned bodies to scale up their knowledge Regarding the relevance giving three subjects together, 100% of the respondents replied that it totally irrelevant and the concerned body has to change the curriculum as soon as possible

1 Do you think contents of the music education text books

2 If your answer is yes for the above question, which

contents and topic are difficult for the grade level?

• Scale, major, minor, sharp, flat, natural, building

Ethiopian kignits and others

3 Are they conducive for the respective grade levels?

4 If your answer is yes for the above question, which

contents and topic are easier?

• some Ethiopian folk songs, love songs, marriage

songs, songs copied from abroad

Source: Compiled by the researcher, Addis Ababa, 2017

Regarding the above questions 63.64% of teachers responded that contents are extremely difficult for the learners On the other hand 36.36% of the respondents replied the contents are rather easy for the learners and something which can challenge the students’ ability have to be included in the text But 21.15% of the respondents remained abstain from any comments

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Table 4.7 Developing contents of the text book

Quantity Percentage

1 Do you make an effort to use different techniques to enrich

the contents in the text book and to make contents more clear?

Source: Compiled by the researcher, Addis Ababa, 2017

Concerning the above questions 22.73% of the respondents confirmed that they have been doing much effort to enrich the contents by their own effort But 77.27% of the respondents have not been doing any kind of effort to develop the contents by themselves so far Regarding the importance of folk songs 18.18% of the respondents replied that folk songs are much relevant for the better understanding of music education and other subjects But many respondents almost 81.82% of the total population denied the relevance of folk songs for a better academic performance

4.2 Major Findings of Teachers ‘questionnaire

Since the subject matter has been carried out by non professionals, a lot of challenges have been observed in the field The manifestation of this issue is that teachers are still strange for most common musical contents and even they are unable to read simple musical notations in the text book Composing melody for written lyrics was another challenge for the teachers Most teachers are also unable to play musical instruments neither modern nor traditional School administration and other concerned bodies do not provide workshops and trainings which would help more for the capacity building in the field Teachers who perform better also commented on the appropriateness of the text book The text book should be revised again so that it would be conducive for the teaching learning process in music education

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Data from Students’ Questionnaire

The information collected through the students ‘questionnaire shows that the students’ opinion towards the significance of educational songs, the appropriateness of the text book for their grade and age level and the integration of music education with other subjects

Table 4.8 Appropriateness of the Text Book

2 For the above question If your answer is yes, what contents and

topics are difficult for your grade level?

a) Scale, major, minor, sharp, flat, natural, building Ethiopian

kignits or ? b) World music history of musicians Bach, Mozart, Beethoven,

Chopin, etc

3 Are there any topics in the text book that you think not appropriate

for your age and grade level?

a) Some Ethiopian folk songs, love songs, marriage songs, copied

from abroad songs?

5

Do you sing songs related to other subjects? such as Environmental

science, Math, Amharic, and English

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4.3 Major Findings from the students’ Questionnaire

From the above table we can deduce that the contents of the text book are beyond the students’ age and grade level Because from the total population more than 90% replied that the text book is extremely tough to recapitulate the ideas Students also indicate that some love and marriage songs are inconvenient for their age levels and even they were not willing to sing the songs unless they were forced to sing them by their teachers Some students also pointed out that teachers have not been made them to sing songs related to other subjects such as Environmental Science, English, Amharic, Math etc…

From the total respondents 77.5% of them responded that they couldn’t see subject integration in their music education sessions

4.4 Major Findings of Administrators questionnaire

Regarding the first and the second items all administrators responded that there are music teachers in all schools But trained teachers are very rare in every school In most cases the subject is given by those teachers who are graduated from Aesthetic Department and teachers from other disciplines

Equal value has been given for all subjects The problem lies on the financial and resource capacity of schools Music Education by itself is a demanding subject matter In each school teachers are requesting classrooms for the practice of musical performance Musical instruments are vital to create

an authentic classroom for the music education Most schools are unable to cover the requested cost by the teachers

School administrators responded that teachers are free to discuss anything that has been challenged with it And school administrators are always ready to find solutions for the existed problems

Concerning about the fifth item, currently concerned bodies including school administrators have been given much attention to music education and the status of the subject matter is by far better than the previous days

Regarding the teachers’ performance in music education, most teachers are performing below the limit, due to the fact that they were not trained for the targeted subject matter, music education