Investigating the Music Literacy conundrum in South African secondary schools

Abstract

This study follows a qualitative narrative inquiry research design, investigating the Music Literacy (MusLit) conundrum through the lived experiences of eight South African MusLit teachers. This conundrum exists amongst a number of variables regarding the effective teaching and learning of MusLit as prescribed in the South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS 2011) in South African secondary schools. The variables include available, but sometimes inadequate, resources in the school education system, the individual circumstances of teachers and learners, as well as ever-changing environments in schools – both government and privately owned. In addition, music teachers, managers and the community have different points of view regarding the place and value of MusLit education in the school context. Furthermore, these variables are interrelated and entangled, playing juxtaposed roles in the effective teaching and learning of MusLit. In the literature review of this study, the found variables were systemised, organised, and structured into a visual representation, the Ishikawa Cause-and-Effect Diagram (Ishikawa CED).

This Ishikawa CED displays the relationships between the interdependent variables, causing a single effect: the MusLit conundrum. In this investigative study, the Ishikawa CED served a dual purpose. Firstly, as graphic elicitation in the semi-structured interviews conducted with the MusLit teachers; and secondly, it was appropriated as theoretical framework, situating the findings of this study in a structure through which the data, systematic data analysis, the interpretation of findings, recommendations and conclusions could be done.

Bridging the gap between the qualitative visualisation of the MusLit conundrum in the Ishikawa CED and the gathered data (semi-structured interviews), was narrative inquiry, which collectively served as the conceptual framework for this study. Because of the deductive nature of this study, a theoretical as well as conceptual model was appropriated as essential components of the research design and methodology. ATLAS.tiTM Version 9.3 (Atlas.ti 2021), which is purpose-built computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software, was used for the classifying, sorting, and arranging of categories, as well as the coding and sub-coding of themes, in both the found variables (literature review) and the narrative data. In the investigation of the MusLit conundrum and the variables impacting on it, it became evident that MusLit teachers could deepen and augment the previously researched knowledge of the MusLit conundrum. Subsequently, three research questions are answered: “How will the MusLit conundrum in South African secondary schools be investigated?”; “Why are the personal stories of South African MusLit teachers of significance in the investigation of the MusLit conundrum?” and “How do these teachers effectively sustain the teaching and learning of MusLit in a constantly changing environment?” The researcher theorises that the Music teachers use their own personal teaching and learning experiences to teach MusLit effectively in their unique individual environments. The collected narrative data (semi-structured interviews with eight South African music teachers) consisted of their unique experiences regarding the teaching and learning of MusLit. Their stories are being retold to gain understanding of, and new insight into, the MusLit conundrum.

The Ishikawa CED evolved gradually through the course of the study, first from a basic root-cause-analysis of the variables, through the systemisation of the variables. Then the Ishikawa CED was deconstructed and recomposed into the NIshikawa CED (Narrative Ishikawa Cause-and-Effect Diagram). Bridging the gap between the initial qualitative visualisation of the MusLit conundrum in the Ishikawa CED, and the analysis of the gathered data (semi-structured interviews), was narrative inquiry as developed by Clandinin and Connelly. This consequential merge of cause-and-effect analysis theories by Ishikawa, and narrative inquiry theories by Dewey, Clandinin and Connelly, led to the newly developed NIshikawa CED. One of the main results of this study is the development of the NIshikawa CED, a merge between the Ishikawa CED and Clandinin and Connelly’s three-dimensional narrative inquiry space. This study concluded that the MusLit conundrum is an enigma, an ever-present companion to the South African music teacher. Ultimately, music teachers use different coping strategies and mechanisms to teach MusLit effectively - even when the circumstances and environments are not ideal.