Teaching and learning strategies used by basic school band instructors in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Ghanaian scholarship in the field of instrumental music pedagogy is minimal. This article aims to examine the teaching and learning strategies demonstrated by basic school band instructors in the Accra metropolis of Ghana. Ten basic school bands and five school band instructors were purposively selected and studied in 2015 and 2016. Analyses of video recordings from rehearsals, fieldnotes and interviews revealed that teacher-directed instruction was the most used approach. To meet their teaching goals and objectives, most school band instructors used the rote teaching system with only a few utilising staff notation. Because of the many challenges of playing in a band, as well as the potential limitations of certain teaching approaches, instructors may need to consider other strategies such as teaching beyond the full-band class, implementing materials specifically intended for school bands, and utilising aural and visual models.