| dc.description.abstract | The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (KCSE) in Music consists of Theory and Practical examinations. One of the subsections of the theory part is the history of composers and an analysis of selected works of African and Western music. It is common practice among Secondary School Music teachers to buy ready-made teaching and learning resources for teaching history and set works every year. In addition, Secondary School Music teachers often attend music workshops that deal with analysis of set works, and their heads of schools appear willing to sponsor their attendance at such workshops. Taken together, these actions might suggest that there are concerns about teaching music history and the analysis of set work. This study was conducted to find out what methods teachers use for teaching history and analysis of set works and to further determine what other material teachers are using in their courses. The study was conducted in seven (7) schools offering Music and presenting students for examination at KCSE in Siaya county, Kenya. Qualitative data were collected from six teachers through oral interview. It was not possible to carry out observations because pre-mock examinations were going on in the county. Data collected were as analyzed qualitatively and presented in prose form. Analysis reveals that these Music teachers use various books and resources in addition to ready-made resources (handouts) for teaching history and analysis of set works. The majority of the books are not authored in Kenya. The analysis also shows that teachers use various methods of teaching, such as lecture and discussion; however, drill and memorization are the main methods used in teaching history and analysis of set works. In most cases, learners are left to study on their own, and thus memorize the materials needed to pass the examination. The results of the study also revealed that there are no standard textbooks on the history of composers, so teachers tend to borrow materials from various sources. The study recommends that teachers employ the use of local resources in teaching Music, the adoption of learner-centered teaching methods, and the publication of materials on local composers. | en_US |
