The Force Field Model applied to a Music Education teacher training framework in a South African context

Abstract

South African Higher Education Institution (HEI) Music Education (MusEd) lecturers’ perspectives regarding the contextual, institutional, biographical and programmatic forces that stem from the theoretical framework Samuel’s (2008) Force Field Model (FFM) were explored. The study was approached from an interpretivist paradigm and conceptually drew qualitative data generated from eight case studies to gain an in-depth understanding of the push and pull factors that influence professional practices. The major findings of the study indicated that lecturers should embrace transformation principles to decolonise the national curriculum. Biographic viewpoints have to be modified from a singular Western Classical viewpoint to integrate African Indigenous perspectives. To teach MusEd, elements and activities from diverse cultures as well as teach student teachers from diverse cultural backgrounds result in MusEd as a change agent to develop social cohesion between multicultural communities. Theoretical knowledge integrated with practical activities where the focus changes from achieving an individualistic perfect end product to the continuing process of ‘musicking’ together are proposed. The lecturers as facilitators, therefore, focus on a student-centred philosophy to guide student teachers’ development in MusEd. Insights gained from this study propose a future cosmopolitan teacher training framework.