Music in Early-Childhood Education and Whole Child Development: Kindergarten Teachers‟ Perception in Oye LGA, Ekiti State

Abstract

Singing and music which are significant aspects of the arts / theatre play important roles in every culture; especially in children  development. Music is undoubtedly present in many aspects of our lives, television, movies, religion worship, celebrations etc. From birth,  parents instinctively use music to calm/soothe children, to express their love and joy, to engage and interact. However, as  important as this art to the child holistic development; it is underutilized among children care-givers and kindergarten teachers in  Nigeria. This study documents the perceptions of kindergarten teachers and pupils in Oye LGA Ekiti, Nigeria on the import of learning  through music/song in the classroom. Focus group discussions were conducted with forty-eight (48) teachers and thirty (30) pupils (age 4-6). Participants were asked their knowledge of and attitude towards music/song as classroom instructional strategy. Constant  comparison analysis or method revealed that the teachers have a good knowledge of the roles of music/song in the classroom. However,  factors like pressure to complete the syllabus, fear of losing respect before students/colleagues and the noise it generate inhibit the use  of music/song in the classroom by teachers. The pupils admit that they enjoy learning through music/song as it helps them to assimilate  easily. The findings suggest that music/song is a veritable tool for whole child development, though tight academic schedules affect its  acceptance in the classroom teaching-learning setting. This study therefore suggests that policy makers and government must, therefore, train teachers in the deliberate utilization of music / songs in the teaching-learning process particularly in early childhood  education setting.