Exploring music educators' experiences of implementing the junior secondary music curriculum in Botswana.

Abstract

Following the ten strands of the curriculum spider web (Van den Akker, 2003) used as a conceptual framework this interpretivist qualitative study explores the experiences of implementing the junior secondary music curriculum in an interpretive instrumental case study of three music educators purposively selected at a junior secondary school in Botswana. The study explores what these experiences are and why music educators experience them the way they do. In generating data the study uses a teacher reflection activity in which teachers on their own reflects on their experiences based on the strands of the curriculum spider web, one on one semi-structured interviews following the ten strands of the curriculum spider web and a focused group discussion also following the curriculum spider web are used to get deeper understanding of music educators’ experiences. The semi-structured interviews and the focused group discussion were recorded and transcribed. The school chosen for this study was selected purposively and for its convenience because it is near where the researcher stays to cut on travelling costs. Guided data analysis is used framed by the curriculum spider web to analyse and discuss the generated data. The findings of the study indicate that the implemented junior secondary music curriculum is not in line with the intended curriculum. This disparity is a result of certain strands of the curriculum spider web like resources not given the attention they deserve to enhance and balanced implementation. The subject aims emphasises practical skills but the actual content taught according to the findings is theoretical and teacher centred due to shortage of musical resources. The findings of this study will go a long way in helping to enhance the implementation and positioning of music as a curriculum subject in Botswana.