Abstract
Music is a universal art form that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. Studies have shown that adequate motivation is a precondition for the achievement of maximum output in every area of musicianship apart from the scarcity of qualified music teachers. Notwithstanding that, where motivational strategies and aids are available, they are most times ignored or neglected and this has limited the students’ level of learning. A high quality music should nurture and motivate pupils to develop a love for music and invigorate their musical talents, and thus inspire their creativity, self-confidence, and animate a deep sense of achievement in music. As pupils progress, they develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best musical canon as they react to music stimuli via dancing, playing, singing, and acting. Therefore, the use of music to teach music in the classrooms and other audio-visual aids are a veritable learning tools and great ways to spark off students’ interest in music. This research work investigated the presence and conditions of motivational strategies and achievements in schools, the extent of use, possible means of provisions and the possible hindrances to their application. Adopting the survey and descriptive methods of research, the researcher discovered that music education in Nigerian secondary schools is besieged with the problem of lack of motivational and other incentives for teaching, apart from the scarcity of qualified teachers. This researcher recommends the provision of enough music teachers, instructional materials and facilities for the teaching of music, increase of music periods in the timetable and the use of variety of teaching methods to satisfy students’ curiosity in learning.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Music as one of the strongest elements for cultural uniqueness and identity is an instrument for cultural transmission and culture embellishment. This is why music is included in the National Policy on Education (1998) as one of the subjects to be taught in Nigerian Secondary Schools. In the traditional Nigerian society, music is audile tool for education and in education. This is true because there is no ethnic group or state where music is not used as a means of cultural transmission and training.
Long before man entered the spot light of history, he has established music as a cultural factor and had an effective method of music appreciation and education. A proper placement of peoples’ culture in the curriculum will help to educate the people and appreciate their culture through music. Music is an essential ingredient for motivation in educational development. That music is suffering a relapse in most schools presently is because; it is placed on a borrowed culture, this gives reasons for it being neglected by the society.
The peoples’ culture and needs which should have been the bases for music education in Nigeria has been neglected or relegated to the background in pursuit of western or foreign culture. This has greatly affected the music students in Nsukka Local Government Area. Music education needs to be modified to blend with the interest of the students and the present needs of the society which includes educating, preserving and transmitting of cultural values to the upcoming generation more effectively.
Apprenticeship has been the known medium of training musicians. Children in their families and peer groups are exposed to their culture through songs. By means of songs, they learn the norms and values of their people in addition to their chronology and history. They also learn about their own language, the things their people lived by, and how the society operates. All
these are learnt through informal education: one generation passes those basic elements of her musical culture to the younger ones for continuity. The teachers of music make use of available resources within the limit of that environment in teaching for the interest of the learner.
Nevertheless, music education has come a long way from the colonial masters who were in total control of Nigeria as their colony. They presented Christianity as the only official religion of the country; and to ensure the people’s total commitment, they drew up an educational programme that was made to enhance people’s abilities to read, write and to calculate. In addition to these subjects, music in the form of hymn singing was introduced; probably this was considered necessary because of the vital role of music in worship.
The curriculum was structured to produce organists, choristers, and choirmasters who would handle western music and instruments in churches. These brands of musicians were exposed to studies in ‘sol-fa’ notation, staff notation, western musical history and literature, western instruments, and other western-oriented concepts in music. There was no inclusion of elements of our indigenous music as a subject of study. The focus of music education itself then was the introduction of western music which has almost completely submerged the indigenous cultures of Nigeria.
1.1 Background of the Study
In Nigeria, the syllabus of educational system, the curriculum content and the philosophy and thrusts of the institutions which teach music as in Nsukka Local Government schools, place strong emphasis on western music. The students, as well as the Nigerian teachers of this type of music, have to struggle first with an understanding of the music, an understanding of the western culture, and an understanding of the method of teaching it, before then evolving strategies that will improve the study of it by trying to motivate or arouse learners’ interest to
learn. Added to the problem of curriculum content is that of the materials for teaching. The instructional materials and the musical instruments themselves which are often adopted from an entirely different culture, are not available to the number of schools that need them for teaching. The pre-independence Programme was unbalanced with over emphasis on drill performance, rote learning and recitation. There was no proper plan for continuity of music Programme from Primary to Secondary schools.
In Nsukka Local Government school system, these problems exist. The ineffectiveness of some teachers in not using strategies that would improve the understanding of the child are demonstrated both in the very poor performance of students in music exams and the limited number of candidates who sit for music as a subject in Junior Secondary Schools. The 2014 J. S. S. entry schedule revealed that out of 30 schools in Nsukka Local Government, only 5 schools entered for music. This was contrary to the post-independence expectation that young Nigerians would be interested in music education.
From 1960 to the present time, the study of music has suffered very much. This is contrary to the expectation of policy makers as stated in the National Policy on Education which emphasized that in order to encourage aesthetic, creative and musical activity, Government will make staff and facilities available for the teaching of creative arts, crafts, and music (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1998). It is pertinent here to examine the quality of people who train musicians under the present educational system in Nigeria.
The teacher could be the product of teacher training colleges that train the music teacher mainly in the art of singing, or playing an instrument or the teacher might be an untrained person with exquisite talent who trains a musician for a popular band, a guitar band, or even for the practice of traditional music or dance (Okafor, 2002, p.12).
The establishment of the Advanced Teachers Training College which later became Colleges of Education and Universities that offer Music, gave many teachers opportunities to gain access to music study. In spite of that, their number is not sufficient to cover the schools.Yet, the serving teachers lack necessary facilities and instructional materials for teaching. Some teachers, notwithstanding their levels of certification, are still inexperienced on how to use the available teaching materials or improvise with the locally made instructional material. For this reason, in the schools where there is competent music teacher, music is included in their time table where as the subject is removed in the time table of schools where there is no competent music teacher. Regardless of that, the few students who are opportuned to be in music class still lack interest and motivation to learn.
Nigeria, in the recent times, has made bold steps in improving her educational programmes. These changes affect all disciplines of study, including music. To ensure the realisation of the improvements, music is listed as one of the core subjects in the new 6-3-3-4 system of education as contained in the National Policy on Education (1998). The aims and objectives of education in Nigeria, as contained in the National Policy on Education, are among other things:
the inculcation of the right type of values and attitudes for the survival of the individual and the Nigerian society and the acquisition of appropriate skills, abilities and competencies both mental and physical as equipment for the individual to live in and contribute to the development of his society(Federal Government of Nigeria, 1998, p. 22). It is pertinent to note that the new policy cannot be realized in the present situation where music teaching is not approached with appropriate strategies that will improve learning in the Junior Secondary Schools. The pattern it takes is not different from the colonial method. The main objective for the inclusion of music in the curriculum is to help the pupils develop in
responsible adult members of the society through musical values. Enoh (2001) opined that the development and changes required in human habits through music education can only take place with a planned and programmed music instruction. With good teaching method, teachers stand the chance to achieve the aforementioned objective (Gbarnaja, 1991).
The major concern of music curriculum planners and implementers should be to simplify subject matters to the learners in teaching-learning situations. It is not enough to plan music programmes for schools. One has to also consider some of the factors that can facilitate learning as well as enhance the growth of the students. Above all, it behoves the music educators to maintain balance within the complete range of general music education by evolving motivational strategies that aim at improving the teaching and learning of music in Junior Secondary Schools.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Music education has been discovered to assist human beings in obtaining admirable lifelong skills. It is a means for an individual to learn to express oneself creatively through the playing of musical instruments, listening to music, dancing to music, and gaining that acceptance, recognition and respect of others in the society.
In view of the above-mentioned facts, the Federal Government deemed it necessary to incorporate music instruction into the Junior Secondary School curriculum. Nevertheless, the various methods used in teaching music have made the study of the subject uninteresting to most of the students. This includes, but not limited to the introduction of cultural and creative arts (CCA) as a single subject. In some schools in Nsukka Local Government Area, music lessons have been reduced to class singing. On the aspect of content, students are not exposed to basic musical skills that should make them self-reliant after school. The content of study are more of topics in western music which at the long run are not applied and appreciated in the real life situations of the Nigerian society.
In virtually all the Secondary Schools in the study area, inadequacy of music teachers in the system has left music instruction in an epileptic state. Very many schools in Nsukka Local Government Area do not offer music at all. The few schools that offer music do not extend it to the Senior Secondary classes for continuity. In some of the schools visited by this researcher, it was observed that there was a complete lack of instructional materials. The focus is more on theoretical musical knowledge.
It is disheartening how much music students in Nigeria are being over-dosed with theoretical knowledge that is not well matched with workable practices. The interest to research on this topic was triggered by the poor performance of music students in music examinations,as well as an observed mass exodus of music students to other subjects in elective with music. Thus, the problem that warranted this study can be posed in a question form:What are the motivational strategies for effective music instruction in Junior Secondary Schools in Nsukka Local Government area of Enugu State?
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The general purpose of this study in general term is to investigate the Motivational Strategies for effective Music instruction in selected Secondary Schools in Nsukka Local Government Area. Specifically, the study sought to:
a. Identify the strategies for improving the teaching and learning of music in Junior
Secondary Schools in Nsukka Local Government Area.
b. Find out if music teachers in Junior Secondary Schools in Nsukka Local Government
Area are adequate in number and competent in teaching music;
c. Find out which instructional materials and other teaching aids that are used for teaching music, and how adequately available they are;
d. pinpoint the constraints of music instruction as part of cultural and creative art (CCA);
and
e. find out students’ attitude towards teaching and learning situations.
1.4 Objective of the Study
This refers to the target of the researcher in this studies. He intends to achieve this through the distribution of questionnaires designed for music teachers and students. The study stands to establish:
1. the constraints in music instruction
2. the strength of the current strategies presently in practice in Junior Secondary Schools
3. the short coming or the lapses of the currently practiced strategies and how it can be corrected
4. more viable motivational strategies for the benefit of the teachers, learners and the society
1.5 Research Questions
The following research question guided the study:
1. What motivational strategy can enhance the study of music in Junior Secondary
Schools in Nsukka Local Government Area?
2. Are music teachers in Junior Secondary Schools in Nsukka Local Government Area adequate in number and competent in teaching music?
3. What instructional materials are used for teaching music and how adequately available are they?
4. What are the challenges of music education under the cultural and creative arts (CCA)
programme?
5. What are the pupils’ attitude to music in (CCA)?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
The study was guided by a single hypothesis stated in the null form and to be tested at 0.05 level of significance thus: There is no significant difference between the perceptions of music students and music teachers (qualified and unqualified), on the relative effectiveness of different motivational strategies for music instruction.
1.7 Significance of the Study
The study will help the serving teachers to enhance their methods and approaches to music teaching. With an enhanced method of teaching music, learning will be more effective and interesting, and more students in Nsukka Local Government will have quality music education and its appreciation. Also, with enhanced music instruction, many more students will offer music as a course in our schools.
The relevance of any study is judged from its ability to expand the frontiers of knowledge. Consequently, the significance of this study will not only encourage the teachers in the use of appropriate instructional strategies but will also widen their perceptions on ways of improving the music pedagogy.
1.8 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
This study was carried out in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. The schools covered by the study were those in which music was offered at the Junior Secondary School level. Only the motivational strategies for effective music instruction in Junior Secondary Schools were investigated.
There are thirty government owned Secondary Schools in Nsukka Local Government Area at the time of this research excluding private owned schools. Out of the thirty government owned Secondary Schools, only five of them offer music from J S. S. I-III. However, for the purpose of conducting a thorough research, the researcher randomly selected the five schools that offer music from J. S. S. I-III out of the thirty government owned Secondary Schools and three other private owned schools that also offer music from J. S. S. I-III; giving a total of 8
Schools in Nsukka Local Government Area delimited for this research.
The basic rationale for randomly selecting these schools was hinged on schools that offer music which was very important for this research. Out of the total number of schools in Nsukka, eight schools were randomly selected for the purpose of this research as follows:
1. Nsukka, High School, Nsukka
2. Federal Government College, Lejja
3. Kingdom College, Okpuje, Nsukka
4. Shalom Academy Secondary School, Nsukka
5. St. Cyprians Secondary School, Nsukka
6. Urban Girls Secondary School, Nsukka
7. St. Theresa’s College, Nsukka
8. University Secondary School, Nsukka
1.9 Method of the Study
To achieve the stated objectives of this research, the researcher employed the survey method aided by the use of questionnaire as instrument for data collection. This section described the research design, the area of study, population, sample and sampling techniques, instrumentation and their development, validity, reliability, method of data collection and analysis.
1.10 Definition of Terms
The following definitions are offered to clarify the concepts used in this study:
1. Motivation: Motivation is a reason for which we act, work hard, or push forward to succeed.
2. Strategy: This is defined as a general approach to relatively large goal. It is actually a planned course of action that one undertakes to achieve some objectives.
3. Music Teachers: These are those teachers who studied music in institutions of higher learning and are teaching music to others.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE MUSIC INSTRUCTION IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NSUKKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
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