TRENDS IN MUSIC TEACHER PREPARATION IN UGANDA FROM 1950 – 2020: AN HISTORICAL STUDY

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2021-05-05

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Abstract

Formal teacher preparation in Uganda was a Western education ideology first introduced by European missionaries in the late-nineteenth century. By this time, African indigenous education already existed, with the teaching practice based on oral traditions where parents, siblings, and every intelligent and responsible member of society taught the young people basic knowledge. This dissertation is exploratory research aimed to chronicle, examine and analyze historical and contemporary trends in music teacher preparation in Uganda from 1950 to 2020. The study was conducted as an historical research to examine music teacher preparation trends in Makerere University and Kyambogo University with consideration to the associated events and policies that prevailed from 1950 to 2020. The study's ultimate purpose was to track the evolution of formal music teacher preparation practices in Uganda’s music education from the colonial era to the present. This research was conducted through three qualitative research methods of oral history, semistructured interviews, and examination of historical documents and records. The data obtained consisted of testimonies and lived experiences of eyewitnesses who played active roles in this process. Twelve informants were interviewed for this study, under four categories: senior and retired Ugandan music educators, former British expatriate music teachers who worked in Uganda, retired clergy, and current Ugandan music educators. The individuals interviewed were: Peter Cooke and Janice Hobday as British expatriate music teachers; Zadok Adolu Otojoka, Faith M. Rwegyemera, Pison Nyinomujuni, and Stephen Rwangyezi as Ugandan retired music teachers; Bishop (Emeritus) George Sinabulya – a retired Ugandan clergy and music teacher; while James Makubuya, Peter Ekadu-Ereu, Godfrey Ntubiro, Beatrice Geria, and Paul Isabirye were practicing Ugandan music educators. Data gathered through the interviews were triangulated against multiple primary and secondary sources to ensure the authenticity of the information. I employed a chronological framework of data analysis following the timelines of the period covered by the study. Four major timelines were identified: The Colonial Period (1950 – 1962); The Immediate Post-Independence Period (1963 – 1979); The Post-Colonialism and Neoliberalism Period (1980 – 2000); and The Twenty-First Century Period (2001 – 2020). The study findings indicated that the church was a significant factor in music preparation practices, since the roots of Uganda's formal teaching profession were established through the European missionaries’ activities. The church aspect is strongly reflected at the different stages of Uganda’s music teacher preparation systems and the general music education curriculum in schools. Indigenous African music and music education practices were marginalized over the years, leading to a more Eurocentric music teacher education curriculum in Uganda’s higher education institutions. The information gathered through this study adds to the knowledge about the evolution of the music education discipline and provides direction for current and future choices for Uganda, and potentially, the East African region.

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Extramural Studies, Indigenous Education, Music Education, Teacher Preparation, Uganda.

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