Teachers as agents in Botswana's music education: challenges and possibilities

Abstract

The research aimed broadly to understand how Botswana's written government curricula for music are interpreted by music teachers as well as teachers' ideals for music teaching, and to what extent they thought it was possible to achieve those ideals. Grundy's writing on curriculum based on Habermas' technical, practical and emancipatory interests has proven an important lens through which to analyse and interpret the observational and interview data generated. Two music teachers in Botswana's Junior Secondary schools participated in the study, one in an urban area and one in a village. Data were generated through observation of 3 months of teaching in both classrooms, complemented by in-depth semistructured interviews with both teachers. Additional data were generated through interviews with and observation of three other music teachers, interviews with music representatives for both Examination and Curriculum departments, and document analysis. My interpretation of the data is that most music teaching I observed would best be described as technical, meaning that it is concerned with factual information delivered through teacher-centred pedagogy and assessed by student reproduction of information through written testing. However, there were some examples of the practical paradigm when teaching focused on music making and the student's understandings. There was little evidence of the emancipatory view of knowledge, but the teachers did speak freely about their views on where music education should go and how it might get there. I concluded that dramatic changes to teacher education and music education in particular are necessary if music teaching is to become the rewarding, stimulating and enjoyable experience the teachers and students crave. This would involve re-conceiving education and teacher education by minimising the reproduction of factual knowledge and by emphasising the development of teacher judgement.

Working towards educational transformation through action research with Botswana's music teachers

“…The teachers’ relationship to the document is one of implementer or deliverer, rather than interpreter or creator (Chadwick, 2014a), with the primary goal being coverage of objectives to enable students to pass exams. This view of education results in teaching styles that are prevalent throughout the country in all subject areas: teacher lecture, whole class questioning, ‘banking’ delivery 2 and little student input or interaction either with the teacher or with peers.…”

“…While Botswana was officially a protectorate 1 rather than a colony, the educational legacy was no better for this difference in status: teachers as authoritarian deliverers of content and students as passive receivers who learn the importance of obedience, conformity and memorisation early in their education (Fuller & Snyder, 1991; Fuller et al , 1994; Prophet & Rowell, 1993; Prophet, 1995; Tabulawa, 1997, 1998). In music, this view of education creates a particular distortion in that the focus of teaching has been on theoretical content rather than practical music making, delivering information rather than doing or interacting musically (Chadwick, 2012). While in recent years assessment procedures in schools have put increasing emphasis on practical music-making, the teachers’ college preparation remains such that music teachers are often not ready to teach in this area.…”

“…Once in schools, the teachers do not feel in control of their work. Rather, they strive to deliver a syllabus they did not write, to have students pass exams whose content they did not determine, and they struggle to persuade principals, colleagues and parents of the importance of what they do (Chadwick, 2014a). The teachers often do not have the basic conditions necessary for teaching, such as a permanent room, instruments, or even electricity.…”

“…A year ago I began a project to encourage and foster action research with music teachers in Botswana. This decision came after six years as a teacher educator in the country, and after constructing several research studies with music teachers where their views on and challenges with music education had been made very clear: teachers do not control the content of the syllabus they have to follow, and more specifically they find it too theoretical; they work in a largely unsupportive context where both the subject and needs of the subject (for example specialised equipment) are misunderstood; and inadequate preparation for teaching in content and pedagogy leaves teachers feeling unconfident (Chadwick, 2008, 2012, 2014a). One teacher summarised their frustrations by saying: ‘You don't teach very well when you are angry.’ The overall aim is to re-shape teachers’ notions of professionalism through the integration of action research.…”