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Organisation of cultural play song settings
There were two settings in which cultural play songs were observed in the study; firstly in twenty pre-schools involving thirty teachers, and secondly in a setting outside a pre-school with a group of eighteen children and a resource person, Mr Muwowo. The findings from observation in the study showed that activities involving cultural play songs started with organisation of the setting in which they occurred. In the pre-schools, play songs were conducted either inside the classrooms, outside on the school playground or in the open or under trees as preferred by most teachers.
For outside sessions on the playground, some teachers asked children to walk out of the classrooms in a straight line while others let them run or walk. The second setting represented an ‘outside of school’ environment. To organise a group of pre-school children who are not enrolled in a school in order to create this data collection event proved to be problematic in terms of logistics. Therefore, permission from a private pre-school in Lusaka to allow the 5-6 year old children to participate in sessions of play songs with a resource person. These sessions were conducted in the school hall as an extra-mural event, not linked to the normal school activities. Even though the school hall was not a real setting in which play songs would normally take place in the cultural contexts of the children involved, it was adapted to be a free space without the classroom teacher being present. Furniture was removed, creating more space to allow elaborate and spontaneous movements by children. The resource person, Mr Muwowo was involved in sharing play songs with young children in an informal way.
From observation, the classroom and outside sessions differed in the amount of time required to get started with play songs. It was observed that play sessions inside the classrooms involved children standing beside their chairs and starting with the play songs shortly thereafter. Play song sessions which took place on the playground outside the classrooms differed regarding the amount of time it took to start the activity. Most of the teachers were strict and started the sessions immediately after the children formed a circle while others took a bit longer to start as children seemed to enjoy jumping and running freely before settling down.
Circle Formation
It was noted in both settings – on the playgrounds at the schools and with Mr Muwowo – that the circle formation dominated most of the play song sessions. Only two of the play songs, Namsisi lombwe and Mbangu mbangu lenwe, used a line formation. Play songs which were observed inside classrooms, however, never utilised a circle formation. Instead, the teachers led the singing and demonstrated the actions while standing infront of the class. Thechildren stood in rows behind their desks while imitating the teachers’ limited range of actions and gestures.
In analysing the data, there are three possible reasons why the circle was favoured as a formation: First it defines the boundaries within which the activities occur, thereby demarcating an imaginary stage for performance. Most of the songs observed required children to stand or move along the circle’s circumference or to dance in the centre of the circle. If there was a soloist, this person normally the teacher or Mr Muwowo – usually stood in the centre of the circle. Second, the circle enhances active participation as all members can see each other. Third, a circle makes it easy for children to imitate movements/actions demonstrated by the teacher or resource person.
The circular formation is termed as a “ring” by Marsh and Young (2006:290), while Nketia (1974:225) refers to it as a “round”. The current study confirms the observation by Bakare and Mans (2003:219) that a circle is the preferred formation for most African musical arts performances. Kenney (2010:72) refers to the forming of a circle as “gathering time” which can indicate a physical coming together on the ‘imaginary stage’ with the required mental readiness.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Personal motivation for the study
1.2 Global discourse and historical perspectives of ECE in Zambia
1.3 Statement of the research problem
1.4 Aim of the study
1.5 Research objectives
1.6 Research questions
1.7 Delimitations of the study
1.8 Significance of the study
1.9 Organisation of thesis
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Theoretical framework: Socio-cultural learning theory and the African traditional theory of education
2.3. Linking Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory and African education perspectives for music in ECE
2.4 Play songs in ECE
2.5 Relationship between music and play for ECE
2.6 Conclusion
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Qualitative approach
3.3 Ontological and epistemological foundations: interpretive and anti-positivist
3.4 Research design: Ethnography
3.5 Data collection
3.6 Data analysis
3.7 Gaining access and ethical considerations
3.9 Conclusion
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Empirical evidence from observations
4.3 Empirical findings from interviews
4.4 Researcher’s interpretation of social interactions in play songs
4.5 Conclusion
CHAPTER 5: TRANSCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF ZAMBIAN CULTURAL PLAY SONGS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Transcriptions of Zambian cultural play songs
5.3 Analysis of Zambian cultural play songs
5.4 Conclusion
CHAPTER 6: SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Summary of research findings
6.3 Recommendations of the study for ECE in Zambia
6.4 Conclusion of the study
REFERENCES
