Introducing Music in a Saudi Arabian Elementary School

Abstract

This article describes the challenges and triumphs in introducing music in the primary division of a private elementary school in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data sources included classroom observations, field notes, lesson plans, professional development materials, photographs, audio-recordings, videos, surveys, and interviews. Data were analyzed using standard qualitative protocols. Most of the teachers who were new to music teaching (both Saudi and non-Saudi) were eager to begin teaching music. They took advantage of professional development opportunities offered by an expatriate curriculum consultant. A school improvement team, made up of expatriate and Saudi teachers, guided the school-based music activities as well as professional development in the broader community. By the end of the year, music was present in all primary classes. The article closes with implications for the evolution of music teaching in Saudi Arabia, as well as how lessons learned through the Saudi experience might enrich music teaching in other settings.