SOURCE:

Faculty: Arts
Department: Music

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ofili, D. K.
Onwuekwe, A.

ABSTRACT:

Music pedagogy deals with the various methods and techniques of teaching and learning music. One of the major discoveries and observations of the researcher was that the teaching and learning of music in an inclusive school such as Christie Toby Inclusive Education Centre, Port Harcourt, has not been encouraging as a result of poor teaching methods employed and lack of special trained teachers who can adequately handle the regular (normal) and students with different disabilities in the same classroom. The study therefore seeks to (i) ascertain the various effective methods employed by the music teachers in order to ensure that the vision of Christie Toby Inclusive Education Centre is achieved (ii) find out the qualifications of the music teachers in the school and (iii) x-ray the response of the learning disabled towards music education. The research questions comprised thirty-six (36) items which include (i) what is the pedagogical application of music amongst the learning disabled in Christie Toby Inclusive Education Centre? (ii) what is the general response of the learning disabled towards music education in Christie Toby Inclusive Education Centre? The research design used in this study was a case study design. The population of the study comprised all the thirty-two (32) teachers in the primary and secondary sections of the school. The sample of the study comprised ten teachers from Christie Toby Inclusive Education Centre, four (4) from the primary sections and six (6) from the secondary section. The instrument for data collection included questionnaire, observation, interviews and review of related literature. The questionnaire was administered by the researcher and collected the same day. The result gathered from the questionnaires as well as interviews and observations proved that the teaching methods applied by the music teachers in Christie Toby Inclusive Education Centre is very poor and as such does not really address the learning needs of the learning disabled pupils and students. The study therefore recommends that for the benefit of the learning disabled, the picture method, individualized method (remedial classes), project, Fernald approach, behavioural modification, Edward Thorndike theory of trial and error should be used. Furthermore, music teachers who are willing to teach in an inclusive classrooms should have a general education and as well as special education. Giving from the findings, the study concludes that inclusive programme is highly viable and commendable. However, there is need for remedial classes for the benefit of the learning disabled. Furthermore, teachers, most especially, music teachers should engage in training programmes that will enable them acquire the necessary skills good enough to handle inclusive classrooms.