An Evaluation of the Music Teacher Training Programme for Basic Schools in Nigeria with Special Reference to South-eastern States

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the music teacher programme of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) towards meeting the federal government’s aspiration of making its education relevant to the child and society, and provision of quality specialist music teachers in their number for the primary and junior secondary schools. The research paradigm that guided the study was constructivist interpretative of concurrent mixed method. The sample size of 16 music lecturers, 14 final years (Music Double major) NCE students, 12 in-service teachers, 12 music administrators, 5 SUBEBS (State Universal Basic Education Boards), and 3 CoEs (Colleges of Education) were drawn for the study. The instruments for data collections were interview, questionnaire and site observations. Data analysis was done using SPSS, Thematic analysis and Holmes analytical framework. The study revealed a tension between the expectations of the federal government towards teaching CCA at the basic schools and the preparation of specialist music teachers by the NCCE that failed to capture Nigerian music culture. It also revealed an inadequate number of music teachers prepared by the CoEs. There was low quality assessment of the training by final year students, in-service music teachers and music administrators. I therefore recommend: 1) a review of music as core and the admission process; 2) review of curriculum towards the learning of music as in the Nigerian culture and not the learning of music components as it is in the curriculum; 3) retraining of the teachers and engagement of the popular and traditional music experts in the development and implementation of the programme.