This paper provides an analysis of how secondary school music teachers (N = 10) in Uganda apply instructional strategies (peer teaching, practical music-making, modeling, and feedback) in their music lessons. Analysis was undertaken to establish if there were any similarities or differences amongst the urban, suburban, and rural music teachers and between experienced and inexperienced teachers in ways they employed instructional strategies. Data were gathered through videotaped classroom observations and analyzed via SCRIBE (Simple Computer Recording Interface for Behavioral Evaluation). Results showed that practical music-making was the most observed strategy while negative feedback (disapprovals) was the least observed strategy. Experienced teachers provided more feedback in form of approval and engaged their students more in practical music-making activities. Results from the study are discussed in terms of implications for improved teacher preparation. The strategies discussed in this study should be encouraged through teacher professional development, and through greater emphasis in teacher preparation courses.
To examine the quality of rhythmic improvisations after learning Ugandan folksongs via notated or aural/oral means, we asked university music majors ( N = 32) to practice two Ugandan folksongs via Western notation or while viewing a prerecorded video of an expert Ugandan performer singing the same song to mimic aural/oral tradition conditions. Subsequently participants heard an authentic performance of the song they had just learned and were asked to create a rhythmic accompaniment to that song. All conditions were counterbalanced by treatment and by song. Resulting improvisations were judged regarding whether the first was better than the second. Results indicated no significant difference between improvisations on the basis of how the song was learned ( p = 0.2617), differences between the songs themselves ( p = 0.1261) or the order of the songs ( p = 0.7518). Participants improvised better when the song was learned under notation conditions (differences not significant), but 70.1% of participants preferred to learn the song via aural/oral means ( p = 0.0041). Results are discussed in terms of challenges in assessment of improvisations and pedagogical implications for future research.
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