Synchronising pedagogy and musical experiences in early childhood: addressing challenges in preschool music education in Kenya

Abstract

This paper examines pedagogy in early childhood music education and the resultant learning experiences in music for children in Kenyan preschools. Two important principles proposed for the synchronisation of teaching and learning in early childhood music education are cultural relevance and developmental appropriateness. These terms are operationalised to suit the Kenyan context. The study described here examined pedagogical practices and children’s musical activities from both cultural and psychological perspectives, based on the rationale that music education should be both culturally relevant and developmentally appropriate. Results suggested that little planning was carried out prior to musical activities, and that the activities did not always benefit all the children. The results of this study may be applicable to early childhood music education in a significant number of Kenyan preschools, since the majority of preschool teachers are trained using the same curriculum countrywide, hence their approach to music education is bound to have many commonalities.