Tools for assessment and evaluation of vocal music among selected Universities in Kenya

Abstract

Vocal music performance occupies a dominant position in Kenya’s musical landscape yet academic study has raised numerous debates concerning its assessment and evaluation. It has been realized that performance in the arts presents an intricate problem and an absence of certain theoretical frameworks that stimulate vocal music discourses. Indeed in all levels of vocal music performance there is a need for instructors to provide a thorough documentation of student performance. Guided by Constructive Alignment Model (Biggs, 2003), this paper sought to analyse the tools and techniques used in assessing students’ feedback in vocal music performance by selected universities in Kenya. Twelve (12) universities that offer music were purposively sampled out of which random sampling technique was used to select six (6) universities. Students of music were selected using stratified sampling to acquire gender representation before simple random sampling technique was used to acquire the actual sample size n=30% of the population. This paper attempts to enlighten and improve the understanding of the tools used in assessment and evaluation of vocal music in Kenyan universities. Data was collected using opinionnaires for individual student responses, questionnaires for voice instructors and heads of the departments, focus group discussion for students, observation schedule by the authors and content analysis then presented in bar charts and frequency tables. Content analysed data was presented thematically. The study findings established that evaluation tools such as goal setting forms, templates for practice guidelines, lesson journals were inadequate. Therefore, the authors conclude that tools for assessment and evaluation of vocal music are of great significance to the growth of students’ vocals.